Homeless Man With LSD Arrested After Crashing into Stop & Shop

A 24-year-old homeless man was arrested early Saturday morning, after allegedly crashing into Stop & Shop and being found with class b substance with intent to distibute. 

Beverly Police spokesman Dave Costa said officers responded to Stop & Shop on Elliott Street at 5:55 a.m. on report of a vehicle crashing into the building. 

On arrival, Costa said officers observed a white Audi against the building and a male unconscious in the driver’s seat. 

While one officer retrieved a medical bag, the other officer banged on the window to get the attention of the operator, later identified as Robert Hadden, 24 and homeless.  

Police said it took an extensive amount of banging on the window before Hadden woke, and at this time officers noticed that the vehicle was still in gear. 

"Once alert it took Hadden a few minutes to comprehend the officer’s request to roll down the window and put the vehicle in park," Costa said, noting that the report stated Hadden appeared to be extremely lethargic.  

Despite the damage to the car and the wall, both minor but noticeable, and the fact that the vehicle was in gear and resting against the wall when officers arrived, Hadden denied that he hit the wall and stated that he was just tired and fell asleep.

Officers noticed an open case of beer in the car with cans missing but did not see any empty cans, as well as the smell of marijuana. 

After finding a glass pipe with marijuana residue on his person and more residue in the vehicle, officers had Hadden perform field sobriety tests, which he was able to pass.

"Even though he was able to pass field sobriety tests, officers were still concerned with Hadden’s lethargy and apparent lack comprehension of what had happened," Costa said. "In the interest of his safety and the safety of the public, officers felt compelled to investigate further."

Police said while searching Hadden’s vehicle, officers discovered a black plastic bag containing two sheets of paper individually wrapped in aluminum foil. 

The sheets of paper were perforated and had a cartoon image of a man riding a bicycle with the words “In memorial of Albert Hofmann 1906 to 2008” written underneath. Hofmann is considered the creator of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). 

Based on training and experience, officers determined that the sheets of paper were LSD and estimated that there were 95 total doses of the drug. 

Hadden was arrested and is charged with drug possession with intent to distribute a class B substance and was also cited with reckless operation of a motor vehicle.