Graffiti on D.A.R.E. Cruiser Leads to Drug Arrest

Wilfredo Rivera of Port Chester had 59 individually-wrapped bags of marijuana when an officer pulled up to speak to him on Willett Avenue Sunday night, according to police.

But Rivera didn't know police were looking to speak to him because he fit the description of a man who boldly tagged up a patrol car in from of police headquarters. So he bolted, and officers chased him down.

That's how a report of graffiti scribbled on a D.A.R.E. car led to a drug arrest Sunday, Port Chester police said.

At 6 p.m., a man walked into police headquarters and told the desk officer he'd just spotted a bold graffiti artist tagging up the D.A.R.E. car, which was parked in a driveway next to headquarters, an area frequented by officers coming and going during their shifts.

The witness gave a description, and a few minutes later a patrol officer spotted Rivera, who fit the description and was carrying a backpack.

The officer "sees him on lower King Street, pulls up next to him, and the kid bolts," Lt James Ladeairous said.

After a brief foot chase, police followed Rivera into a bodega on Willett Avenue. They arrested him and searched his backpack, which contained the 59 bags of marijuana and a switchblade, Lt. James Ladeairous said.

But it turns out Rivera, of Poningo Street, was not the man responsible for the graffiti, and his decision to run resulted in a pair of charges: misdemeanor criminal possession of a weapon, and misdemeanor criminal possession of marijuana.

Not long after police brought Rivera to headquarters, they received a call from the Willett Avenue store owner, who had found a $20 bill and five bags of marijuana stashed behind food on a shelf, where Rivera had made a last-ditch effort to hide his drugs before officers caught up to him.

And what about the D.A.R.E. car? Police haven't forgotten about that.

Port Chester police are looking for tips on the tagger who hastily scribbled a nonsensical phrase or tag in black magic marker.

Anyone with information on the incident can call the Port Chester Police Department at 914-939-1000. All calls will be kept confidential.

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