Car chase yields safe full of suspected fentanyl and cash – News – MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Joe Difazio The Patriot Ledger

WEYMOUTH — Police say they found a safe full of around $5,000 worth of suspected fentanyl and $10,000 in cash in the back seat of a car that led officers on a chase through a half dozen South Shore towns Sunday night.

Two men arrested after the chase, Roodler Marc Jean-Baptiste, 25, of Randolph, and Nelito E. Mapp-Monteiro, 24, of Brockton, were arraigned Monday morning on charges of unarmed burglary, larceny from a building, malicious destruction of property valued at more than $1,200 and possession of burglarious instruments. Jean-Baptiste, who police say was driving during the chase, was also charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, driving with a suspended license as a subsequent offense, failing to stop for police, a marked lanes violation and and expired inspection sticker.

Bail was set at $1,000 for Mapp-Monteiro and $1,750 for Jean-Baptiste. Mapp-Monteiro posted bail Monday. Both men are due back in court April 5.

Weymouth police said Jean-Baptiste was driving a sedan with an expired inspection sticker and a headlight out when an officer tried to pull him over on Washington Street around 10 p.m. Sunday. Instead, police said Jean-Baptiste drove away and blew through a red light as he head toward Route 3.

Police said Jean-Baptiste got onto the freeway and drove north to Braintree, where he exited and got back on heading south. He then got off again in Hingham and led police on a chase through Norwell, Hanover and Rockland, police said.

Police said they saw the men throw several debit cards out the window on Pond Street in Rockland. The debit cards were linked to an earlier reported break-in at an Avalon Drive apartment in Weymouth.

After tossing the cards, police said Jean-Baptiste got back on Route 3 northbound with police still in pursuit at around 10:30 p.m. Police said the car finally came to a stop near Exit 16 in Weymouth after hitting a tire-shredding device deployed by a State Police trooper. Mapp-Monteiro had a pry bar in his pants waistband when he was arrested, police said.

Police said there was a safe in the back of the car believed to be from the break-in. Police said they searched the safe after obtaining a search warrant and found $10,000 in cash and approximately 50 grams of the powerful opioid fentanyl. Police said the case is still under investigation.