Cops: House Had Loads of Illegal Drugs — and Raw Sewage

Editor's note: one person's name was removed from this report because his charges were dismissed.

Norwalk police, investigating reports of drug sales from an abandoned house at 9 Donahue Dr. say they found a large amount of drugs stashed inside, along with a lot of backed up sewage.

Police in the special services division arrested four men in the house and charged each with various counts of drug dealing.

"They were living in unsanitary conditions, to say the least," Norwalk police Lt. James Walsh said Wednesday, the day after the raid. "It stank."

Walsh, commander of the division, gave this account (an accusation not proven in court) of the matter:

Norwalk Health Department officials had been aware of problems at the property for some time, after neighbors had made numerous complaints about it. In May, inspectors had inspected the house, but they hadn't been able to get in touch with the owner, and there wasn't a sewage problem at that time.

The house had electricity and water service, and heating was provided by electric heaters and a fireplace. Norwalk Health Department officials inspected the house again after the police raid Tuesday and declared it unfit for occupancy, making it illegal to live there.

A daughter of the owner was contacted and said no one was permitted to live in the house, so that if anyone returned, that person could be charged with criminal trespassing, as well.

The men arrested in the home are:

• John Malhenzie, 57 (no address listed) who has a long arrest record on drug-related and other charges. Malhenzie was released on $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear Dec. 6 in state Superior Court in Norwalk.

• Daniel Jayne, 30, who gave his address as 9 Donohue Dr., held in lieu of $50,000 bond

• [Redacted], 23, of the same address, held in lieu of $50,000 bond

• Michael Wilson, 41, of the same address, held in lieu of $50,000 bond

The men living in the house apparently were squatters there. They were also selling drugs, and were in possession of a large amount of it. Police said they found:

• A "brick" of heroin made up of 200 small amounts folded into individual pieces of glassine paper. Each package, or "fold" could be sold on Norwalk streets for $20, Walsh said, which would put the street-sale value of the heroin at $4,000.

• Five bottles of methadone, the substance used to treat heroin addicts at drug clinics. It's a controlled substance illegal to possess without proper permits.

• Various prescription medications not in their original containers, including Xanax, another controlled substance.

• Cocaine in powder form.

A pit bull and a cat were also removed from the home. Walsh described the pit bull as "docile," and it was removed without violence.

Each of the men was charged with 12 counts of violations of drug laws, including illegal manufacturing, distribution or sale of drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to keep prescription drugs in their original container and possession and sale within 1,500 feet of a school. Malhenzie was charged with an additional count of possession of drug paraphernalia.