Man Dies After Swallowing Cocaine During Traffic Stop

(NEW BEDFORD, Mass.) -- A man who needed to be hospitalized after swallowing cocaine during a motor vehicle stop died Thursday.

According to the Standard Times, Edwin Santos, 24, was pulled over just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday for failure to signal a turn and driving through a stop sign. After detectives pulled the car over, they found Santos showing "signs of medical distress."

Emergency medical technicians removed an item from Santos' throat, which was determined to be a package of cocaine, reports the Standard Times.

Santos died Thursday at a Boston-area hospital. He had been in critical condition since his hospitalization.

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Two Businesses Burglarized in North End

(NEW BEDFORD, Mass.) -- Police are investigating a pair of burglaries in the North End of New Bedford on Wednesday.

The first burglary took place just after 12 a.m. on Wednesday at an Advanced Auto Parts on Mt. Pleasant Street, according to the Standard-Times. Later, at about 2:45 a.m., a Cumberland Farms store on Acushnet Avenue was broken into.

The Standard-Times reports that the front door to each business was shattered and an unspecified amount of merchandise was stolen.

Anyone with information on these crimes is asked to call (508) 991-6300.

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Man Beaten, Handcuffed and Robbed by Attackers

(NEW BEDFORD, Mass.) -- A New Bedford man was beaten, handcuffed and robbed late Monday night, according to The Standard-Times.

The victim, 45, was attacked by three men near Dartmouth and Rivet Streets. The three men, all wearing masks, beat the man with an unknown object, handcuffed him, and stole two cell phones, his wallet and some money from him.

After they left, the injured victim, still wearing handcuffs, was able to get to his girlfriends house and be driven to St. Luke's Hospital.

At the hospital, security guards were able to remove the handcuffs, and he was treated for injuries to his lip and the back of his head.

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Providence Police Rule Death of New Bedford Man a Homicide

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) -- Providence police have determined that the death of a New Bedford man in over the weekend was a homicide, The Standard-Times reports.

Charles Bettencourt, 21, was found unconscious behind Club Ultra, a Providence nightclub, on Friday late at night.

Police had been summoned by witnesses who reported a disturbance. Police did not see anything, but witnesses told them that several men had been arguing, and one had punched Bettencourt in the head, knocking him to the ground.

He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence and died Saturday afternoon.

Providence police say they are continuing to investigate the crime, and have scheduled an autopsy.

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Freetown Dunkin’ Donuts Damaged by Fire

(FREETOWN, Mass.) -- A fire broke out in the women’s restroom of a Dunkin’ Donuts in Freetown on Saturday, The Standard-Times reports.

Employees at the donut shop, located on 60 S. Main Street, first noticed the fire just before 6 p.m. They reportedly saw and smelled smoke throughout the building.

Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly afterwards, and it took 13 of them around 10 minutes to put out the blaze.

The fire is thought to have been started by a short circuit in the women’s restroom fan.  Nobody was injured during the incident, but the fire and smoke is estimated to have done $10,000 worth of damage to the building, mostly to the restroom.

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