Salem Teen Ripped Up Money, Left Fentanyl In Back Of Cruiser: Police

SALEM, MA — A local teen who was busy ripping up money in the back of a police cruiser left a large bag of fentanyl in the vehicle, police said.

Salem Police said in a Facebook post Monday afternoon that while on patrol Friday, two officers stopped a vehicle on Leavitt Street. The driver was 19-year-old Christopher Del Rosario, who was known to officers and not licensed to drive.

The officers found a "a large sum of money" on Del Rosario, police said. A K9 team searched the vehicle for narcotics but did not find any. Del Rosario was arrested and transported to Salem Police Headquarters for booking.

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During booking, police found that Del Rosario allegedly ripped most of the money in half while in the cruiser. When they checked the cruiser, they allegedly found a large ball of a fine white powder, later identified as deadly drug fentanyl. An image posted by police

Police said it is standard procedure to check back of their cruisers before placing a prisoner inside, and that the fentanyl wasn't there before Del Rosario was placed there.

Del Rosario will be charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and trafficking in heroin/morphine/opium.