3 arrested with firearms, drugs after high-speed chase
A high-speed chase ended yesterday morning when a car fleeing State Police crashed into a Boston police cruiser in the South End.
Police arrested the driver, Carlos Depina, 24, of Dorchester, and his two passengers, Gilson Semedo, 22, of Dorchester, and Erik Hernandez, 30, of Roslindale, said State Police spokesman David Procopio.
The three men were arraigned in Roxbury District Court yesterday. Depina was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and other charges from the chase. He is being held on $25,000 cash bail. Procopio said a gun and drugs were discovered in and around the car.
Semedo and Hernandez were both charged with possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute. They are being held on $1,000 and $2,000 cash bail, respectively. The three are due back in court on July 2.
The incident began when State Trooper Joseph Gray was traveling north on Tremont Street at around 1:40 a.m. and noticed a brown Chevy Impala with a broken taillight driving in the opposite direction, Procopio said.
Gray learned that the vehicle was operating after failing an inspection. Gray attempted to pull the car over, but the driver turned off the head and taillights and sped away onto Columbus Avenue, according to Procopio.
The car fled to Camden street and then onto Northampton street, where it crashed into the side of a Boston police cruiser, Procopio said. The driver still tried to flee but was forced over on the sidewalk because of the car's extensive front end damage from the crash.
Gray, along with two Boston police officers who were in the cruiser that was struck, approached the vehicle and ordered the men out of the car.
Upon further inspection, officers found two bags containing 59 green pills labeled OC on one side and 80 on the other, said Procopio. He said that the pills are believed to be Oxycotin but must be confirmed by a lab test.
The two Boston officers were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with back pain and head injuries. Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll described their injuries as "non-life-threatening."
As the three were being arrested, a police photographer arrived and began to document the scene around the mangled police cruiser. While taking pictures the photographer noticed a gun lying over a fence next to where the Impala was stopped.
