Danbury police make heroin bust — next door to station

Police this week busted a pair of heroin dealers in Laurel Gardens, a public housing complex next to the police station on Main Street in Danbury. Police this week busted a pair of heroin dealers in Laurel Gardens, a public housing complex next to the police station on Main Street in Danbury. Photo: / Dirk Perrefort Photo: / Dirk Perrefort Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Danbury police make heroin bust — next door to station 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

DANBURY — Police didn’t have to go far to bust a group of suspected heroin dealers: They lived right next door to the station.

Detectives were on the way Thursday to execute a search warrant on an apartment in the Laurel Gardens public housing complex, one door north of the station on Main Street, when they realized that one of the suspects was conducting business in his car just outside.

Denzel Wilkins, 24, who had been under investigation for weeks, was nabbed in the act of selling to a customer, police said. He was arrested along with his customer, Marrissa Palumbo, 25.

Investigators then ran to Wilkins’ apartment, where they found another resident, Tiffany Ortiz, 25, with a young child. A search of the apartment uncovered additional heroin packaged for sale and an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

Both Wilkins and Palumbo were found with heroin packaged for sale, police said.

Palumbo was charged with possession of narcotics and released on a promise to appear in court. Wilkins and Ortiz face a string of charges including possession of narcotics with the intent to sell and risk of injury to a minor.

Wilkins was held on a $25,000 bond while Ortiz was held on a $2,500 bond.