CLINTON — On Thursday, March 5, 2026, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Clinton Police Officer Robert Champagne was dispatched to 116 Walnut Street after the homeowner called Clinton Police Dispatch to report that an unknown man was in her driveway, walking back and forth and “doing bad things.”
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Robert Champagne and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“[The homeowner] did not specify what ‘bad things’ were being done,” Officer Champagne said. “I arrived moments later and observed a male, identified as [46-year-old] Alex Marrero, hunched over and leaning against the driver’s side door area of a van in the driveway.”
Officer Champagne said he observed clothing and other items scattered around the driveway, and saw that the garage door at the upper part of the driveway was open.
“I also observed the homeowner watching from her doorway, appearing concerned,” Officer Champagne said.
Officer Champagne said he approached Marrero and began to investigate what was happening.
“I took note of the items in the driveway and instructed Alex to place his hands on the window of the van where he had been standing,” Officer Champagne said. “I searched Alex for any additional items or burglarious tools as part of my investigation. Alex was positioned at the driver’s side door of the van as if he had opened, or was attempting to open, the vehicle.”
Officer Champagne said he felt a box-like item in one of Marrero’s pockets and removed it.
“It was a pack of cigarettes. I observed a clear baggie containing a white, rock-like substance tucked into the outer cellophane wrapper of the cigarette package,” Officer Champagne said. “Through my training and experience, I recognized the substance to be consistent with crack cocaine.”
As Officer Champagne continued his search of Marrero, Officer Michael Fazio arrived on scene.
“I instructed Alex to stand at the front of my police cruiser and place his hands on the hood while I updated Officer Fazio and continued the investigation,” Officer Champagne said. “I then made the decision to place Alex in police custody. I handcuffed him behind his back and immediately read him his Miranda rights from a card I keep in my pocket. After he was read his rights, I asked him if the drugs were ‘crack,’ and he nodded yes. I also located a clear glass pipe that I recognized through my training and experience as a device commonly used to smoke narcotics, including crack cocaine. The pipe had residue on it and a Chore Boy-style filter.”
Officer Champagne said that once Marrero was secured, he made contact with the homeowner who was still watching from the doorway.
“I asked if she had any further information, and she stated her garage door was already open, but she was unsure if anything was missing at that time,” Officer Champagne said. “She also stated that she keeps her vehicle locked.”
Officer Champagne then transported Marrero to the Clinton Police Department for booking.
“The suspected controlled substance was logged as evidence and submitted as drug evidence,” Officer Champagne said. “The pipe was also logged as evidence. Both items were photographed at the police department.”
Alex Marrero, 46, was charged with the following:
- Disturbing the Peace
- Possess Class B Drug, Subsequent Offense
- Trespass
Marrero’s Board of Probation record showed a guilty-filed charge for possession of a Class B substance, Officer Champagne noted.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in March, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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