By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched the corner of Cross and Pearl Streets last Thursday on reports that a street level drug transaction was taking place.

According to a witness report, a woman was observed counting out pills in the presence of two men at that location, which is directly across the street from East Somerville Elementary School.

Officers detained Jessica Shea, of Dorchester, along with the two men who were reportedly also involved in the incident, and questioned her about the reported activity.

According to reports, Shea told the officers that she did not have any pills or anything else that would be of interest to them. As an apparent afterthought, she did state that she had a knife in her purse, which she handed over to the officers. It was determined that the knife blade exceeded the legal limit according to the city ordinance.

Shea was then asked if her purse could be searched and she reportedly agreed, handing it over wide open. When asked if there were any pills or dangerous items in the purse she said that there were not, police said.

Upon inspection, a locked moneybag was found inside the purse. When asked about it, Shea reportedly told the officers that it contained her prescribed Methadone.

The officers asked Shea to unlock the moneybag and she reportedly complied. The officers said that they discovered several pills of various types, envelopes containing cash, and the liquid methadone that she had mentioned. A prescription bottle for Clonazepam was also found, bearing a man’s name as the rightful user. Another bottle contained pills of various colors, which Shea reportedly admitted was Klonopin from different manufacturers.

Shea was subsequently placed under arrest and charges with drug violation near a school, distribution of a class C drug, possession of a class C drug, and violation of city ordinance possession of a dangerous weapon.