Mass. Man Busted on Drug Charge at Salem Burger King

SALEM, NH — A Massachusetts man was arrested and held after allegedly dealing drugs in the parking lot of the Burger King on South Broadway in Salem, according to police. Manny Bautista-Arias, 24, of Lawrence, MA, was arrested on Feb. 15, 2017, for a single count of sale of a controlled drug-heroin.

Editor’s Note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Salem Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

Detectives were alerted to possible drug sales that were occurring in both the parking lot and bathroom of the restaurant and investigated the allegations, according to Capt. Joel Dolan of the Salem Police Department.

“Detectives were able to set up surveillance and witness the male suspect sell a ‘full finger’ of heroin to another male,” Dolan alleged. “The male was taken into custody without incident upon making the sale.”

The man – Bautista-Arias – was processed and refused bail. He was arraigned on Feb. 16. The value of the drugs, according to Dolan, was around $300.

“Burger King was open to the public at the time of the sale,” Dolan noted. “There is no indication that anyone associated with Burger King was involved in the illicit activity.”

A woman – Jusleen Javier, 24, also of Lawrence – was reportedly driving the vehicle that Bautista-Arias was in at the time of the alleged transaction. She was cited for operating without a valid license and released on a summons.