A late-evening welfare check on a car stopped along I-95 in Mamaroneck turned into a major drug and DWI bust, after troopers say they woke a Bronx driver who was asleep at the wheel and later uncovered what they describe as a large stash of suspected cocaine.
The incident unfolded on the northbound shoulder of the New York State Thruway in the village of Mamaroneck around 7:15 p.m. on June 21, when troopers spotted a vehicle parked on the right shoulder with the operator sleeping in the driver's seat, according to Newport Dispatch. Troopers say the driver showed signs of impairment and failed standardized field sobriety tests, leading to a DWI arrest.
Authorities say the man was taken to State Police New Rochelle for processing, where he refused to provide a breath sample. During an inventory search of the vehicle, troopers report finding approximately 436.8 grams of cocaine, then locating an additional roughly 0.3 grams during processing, for a total of about 437 grams, per Newport Dispatch. The driver, identified as 43-year-old Bronx resident Perez Mendez, was arraigned in Mamaroneck Village Court and released on his own recognizance, pending a future court date.
Troop T Handled The Stop Along The Thruway
According to New York State Police Troop T, the unit is assigned to patrol the New York State Thruway system, including the I-95 stretch through Westchester County, and to process DWI suspects at its New Rochelle barracks. Troop T regularly responds to incidents and traffic stops along the corridor, where routine checks can quickly escalate into criminal cases when impairment or contraband is suspected.
What The Charges Mean
Prosecutors did not go light. Perez Mendez faces multiple counts, including criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, a charge tied to large quantities of narcotics that is classified in New York as a Class A-I felony, according to the New York Courts. He is also charged with third- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession with intent to sell, DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation.
The arraignment took place in Mamaroneck Village Court, where a judge released him on his own recognizance, with the case set to return on a later date, per Newport Dispatch. That means he remains free under court supervision while the felony case moves forward.
Broader Enforcement On The Corridor
Troop T has been busy up and down the I-95 corridor in recent months, regularly publicizing DWI arrests and traffic stops that turn into drug cases. Earlier this spring, for example, the unit reported a Thruway traffic stop in Rye that led to a Connecticut man being arrested on two counts of DWI under Leandra's Law, underscoring its ongoing enforcement push on the heavily traveled Westchester stretch, according to New York State Police.
For now, Perez Mendez is due back in Mamaroneck Village Court, where filings and future hearings are expected to shed more light on the circumstances that turned a parked car on the shoulder of I-95 into a first-degree felony drug case.
