SAUGUS – A Beverly man has been charged with his fifth operating under the influence offense, after police allegedly found him high on heroin while driving on Rt. 1.Thomas J. Hatch, 43, of 17 Conant St., #L35, was charged with failure to wear a seatbelt, operating under the influence of drugs and four warrants – two out of Salem District Court and two from Peabody District Court.At his arraignment Wednesday at Lynn District Court, Judge Elizabeth Cremens ordered Hatch held without bail pending an Oct. 18 dangerousness hearing.Tuesday afternoon, Massachusetts State Police received a tip about possible drug activity taking place at the Burger King parking lot on Rt. 1 north. The caller said a person inside a green Honda allegedly exchanged items with several people who approached it.Troopers set up surveillance in an unmarked cruiser in the McDonald’s lot next door for about 30 minutes until the driver drove off onto Rt. 1. The troopers followed the vehicle as it pulled into a Shaw’s and Target parking lot and saw another truck, Hatch’s, pull up for an alleged drug transaction.As a trooper approached, the Honda’s driver, identified as Tainieresses Cano, 27, allegedly swallowed several items and took a swig of water. After giving the trooper two false names along with a fake license from Puerto Rico, Cano was arrested for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and forged Registry of Motor Vehicle documents. She later posted $2,500 bail and was released.Meanwhile, another trooper pulled over Hatch’s vehicle on a Rt. 1 ramp. Troopers say Hatch was sweating, appeared very nervous and that his eyes were “pin-like” and small.He allegedly told police that he recently had back surgery and that he “was a little messed up.” Troopers discovered that Hatch was a habitual traffic offender and placed him under arrest for four outstanding warrants. As he was being booked, Hatch admitted to taking four 10 mg pills of Percocet, prescribed for his back pain, at 6 a.m. and soon after injected 1/2 gram of heroin.Hatch said he was a heroin addict and started using again about a month ago after dropping out of a Methadone program. He also said he uses about a gram of heroin a day, adding he “has a high tolerance” and didn’t think he was impaired to drive.Troopers say Hatch had injection sites on his inner left arm and extensive track marks on his wrists and hands.
