Salem Home Invasion Warrant Arrest Leads To Cocaine Bust: Police

SALEM, MA — Nearly 450 grams of cocaine and more than $50,000 in cash were seized while police attempted to take a Palmer Street man into custody on a home invasion warrant Wednesday night, State Police said.

Police said the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section and Salem police officers encountered an angry mob of bystanders as they attempted to take Kenneth Gonzalez, 48, into custody, and that he tried to flee carrying a knife and "a large amount of cocaine."

Police said Gonzalez climbed out of a basement window when they arrived at the Palmer Street building with the warrant as another man with a pit bull yelled at them that they were "not welcomed in the building." Police said by the time they found the suspect an "angry mob" of neighbors and bystanders were shouting obscenities at the officers.

Police said Gonzalez was charged on an existing warrant of being an accessory to a home invasion before the fact, then charged with cocaine trafficking, possession of a Class A narcotic with intent to distribute, possession of a knife in violation of a municipal ordinance, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and giving a false name to police.

Police said Gonzalez had several small bags containing suspected cocaine when he was found, that they found a bag containing suspected cocaine near the window where he climbed out of the house and found a nearby bag that contained "a large quantity of suspected cocaine and cash."

Police said Gonzalez again tried to escape while in handcuffs but was unsuccessful and that they seized 448 grams of suspected cocaine altogether.

Police said Gonzalez "attempted to incite" the crowds at the scene and additional Salem police officers were called "to help quell the crowd."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Information for this article was supplied by the Massachusetts State Police Department. Patch follows a name removal policy for those listed in its published police reports.