Pubdate: Thu, 27 Jul 2006
Source: Melrose Free Press (MA)
Copyright: 2005 Community Newspaper Company
Contact:  http://www2.townonline.com/melrose/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3790
Author: Greg Duggan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

HEROIN CLAIMS ANOTHER LOCAL LIFE

Like a bad recurring dream, Melrose faces yet another drug-related 
death following the apparent heroin overdose of a 19-year-old man 
last week. If it can be called a bright spot in a tragedy, Melrose 
and state police managed to make three arrests in connection to the death.

Police received a call at 5:26 on Thursday morning from a mother 
reporting that her son was unresponsive in the back seat of a car 
parked in the driveway. Paramedics, firefighters and three responding 
police officers could not revive the teen, and Jason Clarke was 
pronounced dead at the scene.

Clarke's girlfriend, who police declined to name, told investigating 
officers that the two had snorted heroin the previous night. The 
18-year-old girl found Clarke in the vehicle that morning and, when 
unable to wake him, notified his mother inside the house. Inside the 
vehicle police found a bag of what appeared to be heroin.

"It's just terrible," said Clarke's mother, Julie Clarke Colon, 
grieving after her son's death. "He was a really good kid."

Colon described her son as a guitarist and artist, and proud of his 
bright, red hair. "He had crazy hair, crazy hairdos," she recalled. 
"Dreadlocks, afro. People know him by his hair."

Clarke attended Melrose High School for a period of time, but did not 
graduate. Principal Dr. Dan Burke attended the wake and called 
Clarke, "a very, very, very bright young man." He had planned to 
attain his GED and enroll at Bunker Hill Community College. "I just 
wish more people would learn from these tragedies that they have to 
make better decisions," Burke said. "I think that can happen with the 
whole community working together."

Making Arrests

Not long after Clarke's death police apprehended three men believed 
to have supplied the heroin, including Thomas Fasanelli Jr., a Melrose teen.

"Based on information we received, the Melrose police and state 
police started an investigation that led to Fasanelli and the Square 
1 Mall," Detective Sgt. Barry Campbell said.

On the afternoon of July 20 undercover officers from the Melrose 
Police Department and Danvers-based state police followed Fasanelli 
to the Square 1 Mall in Saugus. At the mall Fasanelli entered another 
vehicle, apparently to make a drug transaction. According to police 
reports the car drove around the garage for a minute before Fasanelli 
exited and returned to the vehicle in which he came. One police 
surveillance team followed Fasanelli back to Melrose, stopping his 
vehicle on Upham Street and placing him under arrest. Fasanelli, 19, 
of 49 Melrose St. Apt. 7A, was charged with distribution of a class A 
drug and two counts of conspiracy. Campbell said he might be charged 
with involuntary manslaughter. While one unit followed Fasanelli, two 
unmarked state police vehicles followed the other car involved in the 
transaction onto Route 1 in Saugus. State police referred comment to 
the Essex County District Attorney's Office, but a Melrose police 
report said that when state police tried to apprehend the vehicle the 
driver refused to stop, striking police vehicles and attempting to 
run over a state trooper.

Eventually state police managed to arrest Ricardo Marrerro-Mendez, 
25, and Jose Santana, 41, both from Lynn. Stephen O'Connell, 
spokesman for the Essex District Attorney's Office, said 
Marrero-Mendez was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous 
weapon - a motor vehicle - possession of class A substance (heroin) 
with intent to distribute, possession of class B substance (cocaine) 
with intent to distribute, distribution of a class A substance, 
conspiracy to violate the drug laws, resisting arrest, failure to 
stop for a police officer, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and 
leaving the scene of property damage. Marrero-Mendez was released on 
$20,000 cash bail, which was set by Judge D. Dunbar Livingston.

Santana was charged with distribution of class A substance (heroin), 
possession of a class B substance (cocaine) with intent to distribute 
and conspiracy to violate drug laws. At press deadline Santana 
remained in custody on the $10,000 cash bail set by Livingston. Both 
men return to Lynn District Court on Aug. 15 for a pretrial hearing.
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