Police: New Bedford Man Kept Drugs Feet from Sleeping Children

NEW BEDFORD — A New Bedford man has been arrested after police say they found drugs in his home that were kept just feet from where his children were sleeping.

Massachusetts State Police, New Bedford Police, and a deputy from the Bristol County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant at the man's McGurk Street home on Tuesday following an investigation into fentanyl distribution by the suspect.

Officers knocked on the door, announcing they had a search warrant, but received no reply and heard scurrying inside the apartment. After making a forced entry, officers found the suspect, Oscar Ramos-Torres, 30, standing in a bedroom, with his girlfriend and their two young children lying on a mattress on the floor.

Officers located a bag containing about 8.7 grams of suspected fentanyl within two feet of the mattress. A field test of the substance confirmed that it was fentanyl.

A search of the home located approximately 77 grams more of fentanyl, which was found in a plastic container on a workbench in another bedroom. Next to the container was a digital scale, a box of plastic sandwich bags, and bags with cut-off corners consistent with packaging for street-level sale. A safe located under the workbench was found to contain $6,245 in cash and 26 suboxone strips.

In the home's basement, police further found a plastic bag containing ten rounds of ammunition.

The fentanyl, suboxone, and ammunition were seized by police, along with the cash believed to be the proceeds from drug sales.

Due to the discovery of a deadly narcotic in close proximity to Ramos-Torres' two children, Massachusetts State Police requested that the Department of Children and Families respond to the McGurk Street apartment to assess the children's welfare.

Ramos-Torres was arrested and charged with trafficking in fentanyl over 80 grams, possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute, and unlawful possession of ammunition. He was arraigned in New Bedford District Court on the charges.

Police say at the time of his arrest, Ramos-Torres was on probation out of New Bedford District Court for a previous arrest for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.