A Bag Full Of Syringes, A Shoe Lace, A Lighter And...Heroin
LOWELL - As undercover Tewksbury detectives parked next to a car on Sunday evening, they allegedly watched a 33-year-old Taunton woman blatantly smoke heroin in the passenger seat while her boyfriend collected used cigarette butts from a gas station's outdoor ashtray.
When police stopped the 2010 Hyundai Elantra being driven by Kevin P. Liberty, 29,123 East Water St., Apt. 2F, of Taunton, they found inside the car a bag full of syringes, a shoelace used as a tourniquet, and the aluminum bottom of a soda can - all drug paraphernalia, Tewksbury police allege.
In Lowell District Court on Monday, Elizabeth Rafferty, 33, of 123 East Water St., Apt. 2F, Taunton, was ordered held on $1,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty to a charge of possession of a Class A drug - subsequent offense.
Police said that at the time of her arrest, Rafferty had two warrants for her arrest out of Attleboro District Court (larceny over $250) and Dedham District Court (possession of heroin - subsequent offense, possession of a Class E drug).
Rafferty also has a 2013 conviction in Wrentham District Court on multiple drug charges, police said.
Liberty was released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty to possession of a Class A drug.
Tewksbury police allege in court documents that at 5 p.m. on Sunday, detectives were in an unmarked car at a gas pump at the Circle K. Gas Station at 1785 Andover St. conducting drug surveillance. Police allege that Liberty pulled up to the adjacent gas pump, got out of the car and went to the store to collect used cigarette butts.
Rafferty was in the passenger seat holding a straw in her mouth and using a lighter to burn something in the bottom of the soda can, then inhale using the straw, police allege.
After Liberty returned to the car and drove off, without purchasing gas, Tewksbury detectives stopped the car. When police noticed the items on the floor of the car, Rafferty allegedly told police, "it's all in the door, and it's mine.''
In a pocket on the door was a prescription bottle containing multiple bags of what police suspect was heroin, according to court documents. She allegedly admitted they had just returned from Lawrence where she purchased heroin.
The next court date for Rafferty and Liberty is April 10 for a pretrial conference.
Photo of Kevin Liberty (left) and Elizabeth Rafferty (right) by Lisa Redmond,lisa.redmond@patch.com.
Get free real-time news alerts from the Tewksbury Patch.
