SHREWSBURY — On December 3, 2024, at about 9:57 p.m., Officer Ashley Ljunggren of the Shrewsbury was on patrol when she observed a black 2002 Nissan Xterra with defective license plate lights being driven on South Quinsigamond Avenue.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Statement of Facts of Officer Ljunggren, and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
Officer Ljunggren ran the vehicle’s registration and discovered that the owner, Ronald Perkins—who was also the driver—had his driver’s license suspended in Massachusetts since August 18, 2024. She then pulled Perkin’s over in the area of 79 South Quinsigamond Avenue.
According to police, Ronald Perkins, 44, is a resident of 20 Watson Avenue, Apt. 3, Worcester, MA.
“When speaking with Perkins, I observed his eyes to be dilated,” Officer Ljunggren said. “While conducting an inventory of his motor vehicle, a crack pipe was located next to the driver’s seat with fresh burned residue of crack inside.”
A green scale with a white, powdery residue on it was also located with the crack pipe, Officer Ljunggren said.
Get a banner ad for just $20/month or a video ad for $25/month—both options are flexible and can be canceled anytime. Since our launch in 2022, News Link Live has reached over 1.1 million viewers throughout Massachusetts and beyond. Contact us at newslinklivealerts@gmail.com or click the button below to get started.
“Perkins stated that there were no other drugs in the car because he had finished smoking everything he had on him right before operating the vehicle,” Officer Ljunggren recounted. Adding, “Also located in the vehicle was a small baggy containing a purple powdery substance and a clear box containing a burnt Brillo [pad] and a red container with a partially burnt rock-like substance.”
Officer Ljunggren said that – based on her training and experience – “burnt Brillo is used when smoking crack cocaine.”
The “purple powdery” substance the officer located in a baggie was later determined to be fentanyl.
Officer Ljunggren also located unopened boxes of Milwaukee tools in the backseat of Perkins’ vehicle.
“The tools located in the backseat were a Redlithium XC5.0 Starter Kit, an 18-gauge Brad Nail Gun, and a D-Handle Jigsaw,” Officer Ljunggren said. “The Shrewsbury Police Department has a history of dealing with stolen tools, specifically red Milwaukee tools. Perkins had no proof of purchase and stated he does resell them. Additionally, Perkins mentioned that he buys the tools from people who initially stole them. He stated that was his way to make extra cash.”
Perkins was issued a Massachusetts Uniform Citation for the following offenses:
- OUI Drugs, Second Offense (following his first offense on Oct. 20, 2006, Perkins was committed for 90 days)
- Operating Motor Vehicle with License Suspended (Subsequent Offense)
- Number Plate Violation
Perkins was also charged with the following:
- Possession of Class A Substance (Subsequent Offense) – Fentanyl (3.38g)
- Possession of Class B Substance (Subsequent Offense) – Crack cocaine
- Receive Stolen Property ~$1,200
Perkins’ bail was set at $1,000 cash.
Perkins was arraigned in Westborough District Court on Dec. 5, 2024. Following his arraignment, he was released on bail.
Perkins attended a pretrial hearing on Dec. 9, 2024, which was continued to Feb. 7, 2025.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from December, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
To learn more about News Link Live’s unique business model, please read the following:
An online business model that could replace local newspapers
The Medium is the Message by Marshall McCLuhan
The Ego and the ID by Sigmund Freud
