A wanted Scranton man faces additional charges after police said he drove his car into a patrol vehicle during an undercover drug sting in the city Thursday.
As members of the Scranton Police Street Crimes Unit, Lackawanna County Detective Drug Unit and Pennsylvania State Police Troop R Vice Unit were monitoring social media platforms, they noticed Ezequiel Soto advertising the sale of marijuana on his account, officers said. Investigators were also aware Soto had an active arrest warrant issued by Scranton police for theft, according to a criminal complaint.
Soto (Courtesy Lackawanna County Central Processing)
Investigators contacted Soto using an undercover social media account and initiated a conversation, eventually arranging to meet up to purchase marijuana from him for $70, police said.
Around 7 p.m., investigators observed a blue Volkswagen Jetta enter a parking lot with Soto in the driver’s seat, officers said. Officers positioned their vehicles behind and aside Soto’s and he attempted to exit the area by going in reverse, nearly striking an officer’s vehicle before shifting into drive and accelerating, striking the front end of a detective’s vehicle, police said.
Investigators then removed Soto and a passenger — identified as Cesar Diaz — from the car and detained both, according to the criminal complaint.
Diaz faces charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Investigators found approximately 14 grams of marijuana inside Soto’s car, police said. Then, during a search of Soto’s residence on the 500 block of Emmett Street, they found a large bag containing approximately 148 grams of marijuana on the bedroom floor, approximately 42 grams in the dresser area, plastic bags used for packaging narcotics and a digital scale with marijuana residue, police said.
Police charged Soto, 20, with aggravated assault, possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility and related counts.
As of Monday, Soto remained at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 1 at 9 a.m.