The discovery of a drug lab after a fire in a New Rochelle hotel room led detectives to a large stash of drugs and drug equipment in a storage unit in the city.
Following the arrest of Pedro Marte, who was burned in the Sunday night fire at Marriott Residence Inn, at New Roc City, detectives executed a search warrant Tuesday, April 8, at a storage unit rented by Marte, New Rochelle police Capt. J. Collins Coyne said Thursday.
There they found approximately 3 kilograms of cocaine, one half ounce of fentanyl, a five-foot kilo press, numerous kilo stamps, a large quantity of cutting agents, drug packaging materials, acetone, multiple scales, and other drug paraphernalia.
“This discovery points to a sophisticated drug manufacturing and distribution operation linked to the suspect,” Coyne said in a news release.
The Marriott Residence Inn in New Rochelle’s New Roc City. A fire there on April 6, 2025, was contained to a single 7th floor guest room where one man wqas hurt and police found evidence of a cocaine lab.
Marte is in custody of the Westchester Department of Correction and remains in stable condition being treated for burns to his foot, torso and right arm.
The fire was contained to the 7th floor room, where detectives found cocaine and evidence that the room was used to process crack cocaine.
Marte was so far charged in connection to the fire with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment and fourth-degree arson, all felonies, and was arraigned on Tuesday. But Coyne said he will likely face more serious charges, including first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony punishable by up to life in prison.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New Rochelle police seize large drug stash tied to hotel fire victim
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