A warrant sweep at a Main Street motel in Tewksbury turned into something far more serious Wednesday morning when officers found two women inside the room of the man they were arresting and determined he had allegedly held them against their will. Carlos Candelario, 36, of Lawrence, now faces kidnapping, drug trafficking and identity fraud charges after the early-morning arrest.
According to Tewksbury Police, officers learned that a man staying at the Main Street motel had an outstanding warrant out of Lawrence District Court. Because of Candelario's criminal history, police requested assistance from the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT team to help serve the warrant. The regional team arrested Candelario at the motel at about 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Cocaine, a Fake ID and Two Women Found in the Room
When officers searched Candelario, they found approximately 49.1 grams of suspected cocaine on him, police said. Investigators also determined he had used a false identification document to rent the motel room. Two women were inside the room at the time of the arrest, and a subsequent investigation indicated Candelario had held them against their will, according to the same police account.
Police said Candelario threatened the women in an attempt to keep them from speaking with investigators. Those details, laid out in the department's release, formed the basis for the kidnapping charge that followed his arrest.
Charges Diverge Between Police Account and Court Report
Tewksbury Police said Candelario was arrested and charged with trafficking in 36 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, kidnapping and identity fraud. However, MassLive reported that Candelario pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, intimidation of a witness, identity fraud and two cocaine trafficking charges. The two accounts differ on the exact charge list, and court records were not available to reconcile the discrepancy.
Candelario was arraigned in Lowell District Court, where he was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2, per the police release. The outcome of that hearing has not yet been determined.
What Massachusetts Law Says About Kidnapping
Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 26, a person who, without lawful authority, forcibly or secretly confines or imprisons another person against their will — or forcibly seizes, confines, inveigles or kidnaps another person with specified intent — can face up to 10 years in state prison, or a fine of up to $1,000 and up to two years in jail. That statute underpins the kidnapping charge police say Candelario now faces.
