Crime & Safety

Woman Charged With Bringing Child on Drug Deal, Police Say

A Bristol woman allegedly had her young child in the car when she sold heroin to a police informant.

A 21-year-old Bristol woman is facing five felony charges for allegedly allowing her young child to accompany her and her boyfriend on a heroin drug sale, according to police. 

Paige DeFrancesco, of the 100 block of Franklin Street, was arrested and charged with three felony counts of possession with intent to deliver heroin; a felony count of conspiracy related to the alleged possession; a felony charge of endangering the welfare of children; as well as three misdemeanor charges, including corruption of minors. 

Police allege that during one of two heroin drug-dealing transactions in August, DeFrancesco's "little child" accompanied her and boyfriend, Daniel Thomas Jaje Jr., 20, in the rear of the vehicle in which the "hand to hand transaction" of .63 grams of heroin was allegedly sold to a police informant. 

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Jaje has also been charged with three felony possession with intent to deliver charges, as well as a conspiracy charge and two misdemeanor charges stemming from the alleged sale of heroin on Aug. 12. 

Police allege the couple made a second sale with the informant on Aug. 19. 

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On Aug. 20, Bensalem Police executed a search warrant for the couple's residence and found two packets of heroin, cash, Suboxone strips, drug paraphernalia and baggies and plastic containers allegedly used for the drug-dealing operation. 

DeFrancesco told police that she had been selling heroin for three or four months in order to buy a house, according to court documents. 

She reportedly told police that she "brought her child with her to sell drugs because she was stupid," according to court documents. 

Jaje told police that he and DeFrancesco “usually sell drugs together,” according to the affidavit of probable cause. The 12 bags of heroin that police allegedly found inside his residence was going to be sold for $100 and Jaje would have made a $70 profit, according to court documents. 

DeFrancesco and Jaje are both free after each posting $25,000 bail. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for next week. 


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