Fleeing Mercedes Found With Pounds Of Illegal Pot: Southington PD

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Waterbury man who police said operated a Mercedes that fled Southington police in January has now been charged after the vehicle was later found with pounds of pot inside.

According to the Southington Police Department Tuesday morning, April 8, Shaykeim Correa, 29, of Willow Street, Waterbury, was charged April 1 with operating an unregistered motor vehicle; misuse of registration; operating a motor vehicle without an ingnition interlock device; possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell; illegal possession of marijuana; and failure to insure a motor vehicle.

Correa, police said, has been released on $10,000 cash bond and will appear in New Britain Superior Court April 14, according to online court records.

Court records also show Correa has an April 24 New Britain Superior Court date in connection with a November 2023 arrest by state police at Troop H in Hartford.

Those charges include illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs; two counts of second-degree failure to appear in court; and several motor vehicle violations.

For those charges, he's been released on $25,000 bond.

Southington police said, at about 9:03 p.m. Jan. 4, officers tried to stop a black 2008 Mercedes C2000 near 301 Queen St., Southington.

At the time, police were pulling the vehicle over for misuse of registration, wrote the SPD Tuesday.

While police attempted to conduct a stop, the Mercedes "accelerated at a high rate of speed while violating numerous moving violations before entering Interstate 84 Eastbound," wrote police.

On Jan. 31, the SPD wrote, police found that same car in the parking lot of The Groggy Frogg, 129 Center St., Southington.

Police said they determined the vehicle was unoccupied and "controlled substances could be observed in plain view within the vehicle."

After the SPD was granted a search-and-seizure warrant, officers discovered 14.49 pounds of marijuana inside the vehicle, along with THC edibles and oils, police said.

All of those items were seized by police.

During the investigation, a warrant for Correa's arrest was obtained, and he was officially charged on April 1, police said.