LEWISTON — Police and drug agents investigating an overdose on Oxford Street on Tuesday night arrested two men.
John Texeira Submitted photo
Police said one of them climbed onto a roof and attempted to flee down a fire escape after ditching a bag full of oxycodone, cash and a 9mm handgun.
John Texeira, also known as Joao Texeira, 25, of Fall River, Massachusetts, was arrested after a short foot chase. He was charged with trafficking in scheduled drugs, illegal possession of a firearm and refusing to submit to arrest.
A second suspect, Christopher Hogan, 26, who lives at 119 Oxford St. where the overdose occurred, was charged with robbery. He was accused of threatening another man with a knife and stealing property days earlier. Police said the items taken in the robbery were recovered when they searched the Oxford Street home.
Police and drug agents originally responded to the home on a report that a man had overdosed there.
Christopher Hogan Lewiston police
“Upon their arrival, officers located an unconscious male in the second-floor hallway who was believed to be suffering the effects of an overdose of opiates — heroin or fentanyl,” according to a news release written by Lewiston Police Detective James Theiss. “The male was administered Narcan by citizens on scene as well as by the responding officers. The male regained consciousness and was transported to the hospital where he was treated and later released.”
Police, along with local and federal drug agents, had been in the area as part of a crime suppression detail, Theiss said. After the overdose was dealt with, investigators began to search the home for the source of the drugs. What they found, according to the release, was several people hiding on porches and stair landings.
Police said that as they were searching, Texeira abandoned his backpack and sneakers and fled, climbing to the roof of the building and jumping to an adjacent rooftop at 2 River St.
He was captured after a short chase.
Lewiston police sent their K-9, Scout, to the scene and the dog quickly alerted them to the presence of drugs in the bag Texeira had allegedly abandoned. A search warrant was secured, allowing police to examine its contents.
“A search of the bag revealed 425 oxycodone (30mg) pills and a loaded 9mm handgun,” Theiss wrote. “A search of Texeira’s person at the time of his arrest revealed approximately $5,000 in suspected drug proceeds, which were seized along with the contraband.
“A search warrant was also executed in the 119 Oxford St. apartment related to the overdose,” Theiss wrote, “which resulted in the seizure of an additional 119 oxycodone (30mg) pills, 118 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl, 11 grams of cocaine case (crack), $966 in suspected drug proceeds in addition to items related to packaging drugs for distribution.”
Texeira was taken to the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn, where he was later released on $5,000 cash bail.
Hogan was taken to the jail, where he was still being held Wednesday on $3,500 bail.
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