Four people charged after CT police reportedly find drugs in motel room, car parked at Denny’s

Four people were arrested in Southington Thursday after officers seized nearly 100 grams of crack from a vehicle parked at Denny’s and a room at the Motel 6, police said.

Just after midnight on Thursday, officers were dispatched to the Motel 6 on Queen Street to look for a person investigators believed was staying at the motel, according to the Southington Police Department.

Officers reportedly found a vehicle parked in front of the nearby Denny’s that was associated with the person they were looking for and spotted two people in the car allegedly with drugs for use and sales, police said.

A K-9 officer searched a small backpack in the vehicle and reportedly found a revolver, nine rounds of ammunition, cash and drug paraphernalia, according to police. Police also said several other items were recovered, indicative of drug activity and sales throughout the vehicle.

Yairi Matriz, a 27-year-old from Waterbury and George Estes-James, a 30-year-old from Waterbury, were both arrested.

Officers then went to the motel room they were believed to be using and found 29-year-old Angel Mercado and 40-year-old Donna Catalano, both from Waterbury. While interviewing them, police reportedly found more drug paraphernalia and noted signs of drug use, according to police.

In total, police said officers seized 97.9 grams of crack cocaine packaged for sale, worth about $10,000.

Estes-James and Martiz were charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, possession of a controlled substance, use of drug paraphernalia, violation of pistol permit requirements and illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle. Estes-James was also charged with criminal possession of a firearm. Both were held in lieu of $100,000 bonds, according to police.

Mercado and Catalano were charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, possession of a controlled substance and use of drug paraphernalia. They were each held on $50,000 bonds, police said.

All four appeared in court in New Britain on Thursday, records show.