NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — A man looking for a prime parking spot at a Massachusetts sports bar ended up before a judge facing numerous drug charges.

Hector Quintana, 33, was charged with possession of crack cocaine to distribute, two counts of class B possession, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. 

According to Salisbury police Officer Richard Dellaria’s report, obtained by The Daily News of Newburyport, Massachusetts, on Saturday around 9 p.m. he saw a 2001 Mustang with the engine running parked near a tree line in the parking lot of a local sports bar and restaurant.

After determining that Quintana was the only person in the car, Dellaria got out of the cruiser just before Quintana attempted to leave in his car. Instead, Quintana got out of the vehicle and the two struck up a conversation. Quintana told Dellaria he was looking for a good place to park before going into the sports bar to gamble. 

Before heading inside, Quintana showed Dellaria his driver’s license. As Quintana headed into the sports bar, Dellaria ran a check on his driving history and discovered he had been charged with several drug possession and intent to sell offenses. 

With Quintana inside the sports bar, Dellaria looked through the windows of the Mustang and in plain view saw a tied baggie filled with a white powdery substance that he identified as cocaine. 

Knowing he was going to arrest Quintana, Dellaria called for assistance. After Sgt. Timothy Hunter arrived, the two entered the bar and asked Quintana to go outside with them. 

“Once outside I advised him what I could see in the cup holder,” Dellaria said. “I also told him I was aware of his past drug charges.”

Back at the Mustang, Quintana opened the driver’s door and tried to grab the baggie and place it in his jacket. The officers ordered him to stop, but he continued his action. Hunter and Dellaria tried to control his arms, leading to a brief struggle. During the struggle, Quintana dropped the baggie on the ground and threw another baggie into the woods. Quintana was then placed in handcuffs. 

Police were able to find the tossed baggie and determined that it also contained narcotics. 

“It was found to be four individually packaged corner tie baggies of a hard rock-like substance that I was able to identify due to its physical characteristics as crack cocaine,” Dellaria wrote in his report. 

Back at the station, the crack cocaine and regular cocaine were weighed and found to be a total of 2 grams.

During the booking process, Quintana’s cellphone received numerous incoming calls from people with names such as “Big Wheelz,” “Naps” and “Tron,” among others, according to Dellaria’s report.

At his arraignment Tuesday, Quintana was ordered held on $500 cash bail. With his bail posted, Quintana left the courtroom. He is due back later this winter for a pre-trial hearing, according to an Essex County, Massachusetts prosecutor.

Rogers writes for The Daily News of Newburyport, Massachusetts.