In a disquieting turn of events, Hialeah detectives have cracked down on a family-run drug operation. Found operating out of a local motel, the accused were detained in the presence of young children. According to police reports cited by Local10, this occurred at the Star Motel at 1651 West Okeechobee Road. Five individuals face multiple charges including child neglect and various drugs offenses.
Staying in two separate rooms, the family’s illicit activities were under the surveillance where undercover officers made drug purchases on several occasions. Detectives returned with a warrant last Thursday and took into custody 39-year-old Jessica Lange Nieves, her partner 38-year-old Roy Carlos Duran, parents William Nieves and Melinda Nieves, as well as Melinda’s boyfriend Jose Manuel Cortes, detailed in the report obtained by NBC Miami. The children, aged 4 and 10, were regularly around these adults, all of whom have criminal records.
During the raid, officials rescued the 4-year-old directly from the motel room, while the 10-year-old was picked up from her elementary school. In a statement reported by Local10, one of the girls told officers about Duran taking care of them, including feeding them and taking them to school. Meanwhile, Duran was out on a felony bond for possession of a controlled substance. Cortes, a convicted felon, was last released from prison in 2022, bearing the street name “King Chachi.”…