Members of the Lawrence Police Gang Unit were doing a foot patrol through the Hancock Projects when a call for a disturbance and a man with a gun on Thornton Ave was transmitted over the police radio. Detectives Shaun McLellan, Angel Lopez and Shaun O’Keefe responded to the location along with Officer Carlos Garcia. Upon arrival officers encountered a male and a female victim who stated that during a verbal altercation between them and two other males one of the males brandished a firearm.
The victims provided a description, as well as a location the males ran into. Officers encountered Santana Vasquez age 34 of Lawrence in the hallway of that location. Officers also observed an open cellar door with a strong odor of marijuana coming from the basement. As Officers were investigating they found Juan Perez age 20 of Lawrence hiding behind a chimney. A firearm as well as a loaded magazine was found in plain sight next to Perez. Both Perez and Vasquez were positively identified by the victims. They were arraigned in Lawrence District Court on several firearms related charges