NEW CASTLE —
A former Detroit resident and his girlfriend woke up to handcuffs Thursday as narcotics officers raided their home.
Police serving a high-risk search warrant at 713 Arlington Ave. confiscated two bags of pure heroin and a loaded Hi-Point .45-caliber round pistol, according to Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa. The gun had one bullet in the chamber.
Members of the District Attorney’s Drug Task Force Special Investigative Unit and the New Castle police narcotics officers entered the home around 6 a.m. Union Township officers assisted.
Two grade-school-age children who were in the house were turned over to relatives. After they left, two narcotics-sniffing dogs were taken through the house to search for drugs.
Arrested were Juan Williams, 29, and Krystal Chambers, 26, both of that address.
Officers found five grams of heroin with a street value of $1,500 in two bags inside a jacket hanging in a closet, Lamancusa said. The gun was on a shelf above the jacket.
Also found was a powder, believed to be baby formula, that is used with cut heroin to yield a larger volume of the drug for selling, Lamancusa said. He noted there were no infants in the house.
Police also found a small amount of marijuana, scales, packaged syringes and a razor blade, officials said.
“It looks like we hit the place before they had a chance to break down the product,” Lamancusa said.
According to Lawrence County assessment records, the house is owned by Benjamin Rozzi of 414 E. Boyles Ave. Rozzi was renting the house to the couple, according to police.
Lamancusa said Williams had moved to New Castle from Detroit several years ago.
He and Chambers are charged with one count each of possession of narcotics with intent to deliver, conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver, possession, conspiracy to possess and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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New Castle Sgt. John Colella and his K-9 Partner, Champ, leave an Arlington Avenue home after searching for narcotics.
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