01-27-2010, 07:56 PM
Two Bronx men were locked up and left to rot in a filthy jail cell for nearly a week after a pair of cops mistook their candy for a bag of crack.
The âdrugsâ were finally tested five days later and determined to be popular Coco (coconut) Candy. The charges were dropped.
The trouble began the night of Jan. 15, as José Pena, a 48-year-old plumber, and his longtime pal and colleague Cesar Rodriguez, 33, were headed to a party, and decided to stop at a bodega on 181st Street and the Grand Concourse.
When they came out, cops were waiting and asked to search their Ford minivan. âI said âGo search.â I even opened the door,â Rodriguez told The Post.
Lesson #1: Never, ever, ever, ever, agree to a search. If youâre guilty, youâre helping them catch you. If youâre innocent, youâre wasting your time, youâre taking a chance since they arenât required to fix anything they break, youâre leaving yourself open for being charged for something you didnât know about that fell out of a friendâs pocket, and youâve got the possibility that a couple of morons will think your coconut candy is crack and throw you in jail for a week.
An officer rummaged around, came out holding a âHello Kittyâ sandwich bag, and shouted âBingo!â the men said.
âItâs only candy!â Rodriguez said, as the cops handcuffed him and Pena, and several other police cars rushed to the scene. [...]
âCan you test it? Can you taste it?â Rodriguez asked the cops. âShut up!â they replied.
âI didnât know having candy was a crime,â he said. [...]
The Bronx District Attorneyâs office confirmed that the case was dropped after authorities realized there were no drugs. The NYPD had no comment.
Todayâs drug war. Guilty until proven innocent.
The âdrugsâ were finally tested five days later and determined to be popular Coco (coconut) Candy. The charges were dropped.
The trouble began the night of Jan. 15, as José Pena, a 48-year-old plumber, and his longtime pal and colleague Cesar Rodriguez, 33, were headed to a party, and decided to stop at a bodega on 181st Street and the Grand Concourse.
When they came out, cops were waiting and asked to search their Ford minivan. âI said âGo search.â I even opened the door,â Rodriguez told The Post.
Lesson #1: Never, ever, ever, ever, agree to a search. If youâre guilty, youâre helping them catch you. If youâre innocent, youâre wasting your time, youâre taking a chance since they arenât required to fix anything they break, youâre leaving yourself open for being charged for something you didnât know about that fell out of a friendâs pocket, and youâve got the possibility that a couple of morons will think your coconut candy is crack and throw you in jail for a week.
An officer rummaged around, came out holding a âHello Kittyâ sandwich bag, and shouted âBingo!â the men said.
âItâs only candy!â Rodriguez said, as the cops handcuffed him and Pena, and several other police cars rushed to the scene. [...]
âCan you test it? Can you taste it?â Rodriguez asked the cops. âShut up!â they replied.
âI didnât know having candy was a crime,â he said. [...]
The Bronx District Attorneyâs office confirmed that the case was dropped after authorities realized there were no drugs. The NYPD had no comment.
Todayâs drug war. Guilty until proven innocent.
