Police arrested a Dedham man who they suspect is a major South Shore cocaine trafficker after one of his alleged distributors was found drunk and asleep in a rental car in Scituate with cocaine and marijuana.
Eliezer Ortiz, 37, of Dedham, a suspected cocaine trafficker known as "Junior," was the target of an investigation by police in Quincy, Scituate, Marshfield, Hanover and Dedham, said Scituate Police Lt. Michael Stewart. Ortiz was arrested Saturday in Quincy.
Dennis Richardson, 24, of Scituate, was arrested in Scituate on Saturday morning after a routine call to police about a suspicious car parked on Hollett Street. He was charged with several counts of drug trafficking after police say they found 3 1/2 ounces of cocaine and several ounces of high-grade marijuana in the car.
The arrest was the lucky break police needed in a yearlong investigation, Stewart said. By Saturday night, police said, they had seized nearly 19 more ounces of cocaine and nearly $20,000 and had made two more arrests, including Ortiz.
Police estimated the cocaine's street value at about $60,000.
Ortiz has used his 11-year-old daughter as a lookout during past drug deals, police said.
Police believe Richardson was a distributor for Ortiz, and they said his arrest alerted them to a drug transaction scheduled for that night in an apartment in the Lincoln Heights complex in Quincy.
Police set up surveillance outside Ortiz's Dedham home and went to the Quincy apartment about 4:30 p.m.
Jeffrey Patterson, 27, also believed to be a distributor, lives at the 175 Centre St. apartment with his girlfriend. He let police in and turned over four ounces of cocaine and $10,800, police said.
Some of the money was to be used to pay Ortiz, whom Patterson expected to arrive with cocaine within an hour, police said. Patterson was arrested on a cocaine trafficking charge.
Meanwhile, police in Dedham say they watched Ortiz place a package in his Dodge pickup truck and drive off with his wife and four young children.
When Ortiz arrived in Quincy, police were waiting inside the Centre Street building. He tried to flee but was arrested after a brief struggle and charged with cocaine trafficking, police said.
About 15 ounces of cocaine was found in several plastic bags, police said.
Police then approached Ortiz's family, seized the car and took the woman and children to their Dedham home, where police say they found more cocaine and a "cut shop," used to prepare cocaine for distribution, in the basement.
After arriving in Dedham, police said Ortiz's 11-year-old daughter became so hysterical that she was taken to the hospital with symptoms of a panic attack.
After speaking with the girl later, police determined that Ortiz had used her as a lookout in past drug deals, and that she was worried she would be in trouble, Stewart said.
"It was disturbing," said Stewart, who worked with Dedham officers to calm the girl. "She was assured she was not involved."
Police notified the Department of Social Services and filed a claim of child abuse against the parents.
Stewart said the arrests and seizures on Saturday will make a dent in the area's cocaine trafficking.
"This is going to slow down the ability to get cocaine in Scituate and Marshfield for some time," he said.
Robert Sears contributed to this story. Kaitlin Keane can be reached at kkeane@ledger.com.
