Police: City Man Caught Burying Drugs in Park

A city man accused of burying drugs in Bronson Avenue Park led Meriden Police on a chase Saturday through a nearby neighborhood, including a creek and two homes.

A crime suppression unit was conducting surveillance of the area at Cook Ave. and Summer Street Saturday afternoon, when they saw 32-year-old Jeffrey Gomez, of 80 Hanover St., Meriden, getting out of a car with others in it, according to Police Spokesman Det. Lt. Mark Walerysiak.

One detective recognized Gomez as someone he’d previously arrested, and officers followed the man to nearby Bronson Park, where they saw him digging into the ground.

Gomez saw officers and took off on foot, according to Walerysiak.

Police chased him through the Summer Street, through a creek, and then
through two multifamily houses – one on Summer Street and one on Summer Court, which police say Gomez knocked down doors to get into.

During the chase, Gomez allegedly dropped 3.5 grams of crack cocaine.

Officers eventually caught up to Gomez, and arrested him. They also went back to the car he was in and found four people in the car - two adults and two children. Police arrested the adults, Gilbert Santiago, 30, and Darshini Castillo, 21, both of 51 S. First St., Meriden, and charged them each with two counts of risk of injury to a minor.

Gomez is charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics with intent to sell in a public place, two counts of second degree burglary, three counts of third degree criminal mischief, risk of injury to a minor and interfering with an officer, according to police logs.  He has a bond of $750,000, and a court date of Feb. 24.