By Robert Mills
UPDATED: 01/17/2016 09:38:42 PM EST0 COMMENTS


Ramon Aguasviva-Mejia, 60, of Lawrence, is being held on detainers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Interpol for allegedly illegally re-entering the country and killing a police officer in the Dominican Republic, according to Lowell, who have also charged him with several local offenses. Photo from Interpol wanted poster
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LOWELL -- Detectives from the city's Vice Unit already knew the man they were after was wanted as a suspect in the killing of a police officer in the Dominican Republic when they spotted him at Central Plaza on Church Street on Sunday afternoon.

When detectives moved in to make an arrest, Ramon Aguasviva-Mejia, 60, of 124 Farnham St., Lawrence, tried to make his escape, according to police.

"Upon seeing the detectives approach, he accelerated his vehicle, nearly striking them before speeding out of the lot onto Lawrence Street," Capt. Timothy Crowley wrote in a press release.

Police pursued the silver Volkswagen that Aguasviva-Mejia was driving through the Lower Belvidere neighborhood and onto Route 110 into Dracut, where they were able to box the vehicle in and make an arrest at gunpoint, according to Crowley.

Aguasviva-Mejia is now being held on local charges, a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement for illegally re-entering the country, and a detainer from Interpol for the killing of a police officer in the Dominican Republic, according to Lowell police.

Aguasviva-Mejia will be arraigned Tuesday in Lowell District Court on charges of possession of a class B substance, operating to endanger, operating without a license and speeding, according to Crowley.

Even if he posts bail for those charges, Aguasviva-Mejia will continue to be held without bail on the detainers from ICE and Interpol, according to Crowley.

Capt. Thomas Kennedy said Aguasviva-Mejia initially gave police the name Jose Ruiz, an alias he used during a previous arrest on Sept. 16. Crowley said Aguasviva-Mejia was arrested on that date and charged with driving without a license. Crowley said Aguasviva-Mejia had no identification or driver's license, and that police did not get any hits when they ran his fingerprints through a national database. He was arrested about 11 p.m., and released about 2 a.m., Crowley said.

Crowley said it remains unclear why Aguasviva-Mejia's fingerprints did not garner any hits during the Sept. 16 search of national databases.

Later, officials from ICE notified Lowell police that Aguasviva-Mejia was believed to be selling drugs in Lowell, and that he was wanted for the killing of the police officer in the Dominican Republic, according to Crowley.

Crowley said Aguasviva-Mejia has at least 17 aliases, and is also wanted on a warrant for drug charges out of Suffolk Superior Court, as well as a warrant for felony assault out of Quincy District Court.

Details of the police officer's killing in the Dominican Republic were not immediately available Sunday night. An Interpol wanted poster for Aguasviva-Mejia notes only that he is wanted for drugs and homicide, and does not provide further details.

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