WPD Press Release: WPD OFFICERS ARREST FOUR AFTER MV STOP REVEALS LOADED GUN, FENTANYL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/20/2022 10:18 PM

On January 20th 2022 at about 4:15 PM, an officer assigned to the Neighborhood Response Team was on patrol in the area of City Hall when he observed a male, Jose Santiago, forty-years-old of Piedmont St, who he knew had an active arrest warrant. The officer observed Mr. Santiago enter the backseat of a Ford Focus, which drove northbound on Main St.

The officer asked for assistance and the operator of the vehicle illegally turned from Main St to Maple St. Officers followed the vehicle activated their blue lights to pull it over at Russell St near Elm Park. As officers approached the vehicle, they observed a female identified as Tiffany Lavallee, thirty-six-years-old of Plantation St in the rear of the vehicle. They knew that Ms. Lavallee also had an active warrant for her arrest. Officers placed Mr. Santiago under arrest for his warrant.

Officers asked Ms. Lavallee to step out of the vehicle, but she was uncooperative and appeared to be nervous. Officers removed her from the vehicle and placed her under arrest for her warrant. Officers observed what appeared to be a loaded, silver handgun in a bag that Ms. Lavallee had with her. They found what appeared to be Fentanyl, what appeared to be crack cocaine, what appeared to be Suboxone, and what appeared to be K2 synthetic marijuana, all packaged in a manner consistent with distribution. Ms. Lavallee does not have a license to carry a firearm. Officers discovered that the firearm had been reported stolen.

Another male in the vehicle, identified as Benjamin Mangham, forty-one-years-old of Mattapan, had an active warrant and was placed under arrest. The driver of the vehicle, Walter McCormick, fifty-seven-years-old of Anderson Ave, had a suspended driver’s license and was placed under arrest.

Tiffany Lavallee is charged with Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License, Improper Storage of a Firearm, Carrying a Firearm during Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Class A Substance (Fentanyl) with intent to Distribute, Possession of a Class B Substance (Crack Cocaine) with intent to Distribute, Possession of a Class B Substance (Suboxone) with intent to Distribute, Possession of a Class C Substance (Synthetic Marijuana) with intent to Distribute, Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute within 100 Feet of a Public Park, and Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card, Receiving Stolen Property Under $1200 (Firearm) and her warrant. The four individuals who were placed under arrest will be arraigned in court.