LEXUS SHOPPER SAYS HE TOOK UNUSUAL TRIP;

Surprise: A Baltimore police officer says a salesman at a Reisterstown Road
car dealership took him on a test drive that included stops at open-air
drug markets.

David C. Jones Jr. didn't say anything when the car salesman directed him
to take the 1993 Lexus to a pair of open-air drug markets in Park Heights.

He remained silent when the salesman got out of the car at each location
and came back a few minutes later.

But when Jones returned to the car dealership on Reisterstown Road after
his test drive yesterday afternoon, he revealed his occupation: police
officer in Baltimore's Central District drug unit.

"I couldn't believe that he would take me on a test drive through open air
drug markets," said Jones, a 15-year veteran.

Jones said he arrived at Autoleader Inc. in the 6200 block of Reisterstown
Road about 2 p.m. yesterday hoping to test drive the 1993 Lexus on his day
off.

"The salesman asked me if I was in a hurry, and I said that I wasn't,"
Jones said. "So he started directing me to drive to a couple of
neighborhoods that turned out to be open-air drug markets."

At each spot, the 20-year-old salesman asked Jones to stop the car so that
he could get out for a moment, Jones said.

The test drive took about 30 minutes. "It was about the length of time you
want to test drive a car, but it wasn't where I expected to go," Jones said.

When they returned to the dealership, Jones flashed his badge and recovered
two vials of white powder that he believes are cocaine, he said.

When he tried to arrest the salesman, the man fled out the back door, Jones
said.

Last night, Jones filed an arrest warrant charging Alex Lebedev of the 6800
block of Copperbend Lane in Baltimore County, just over the city line
between Mount Washington and Pikesville, with drug possession.

Lebedev's mother, Emma, who answered the phone at the dealership, said no
one wanted to discuss the day's events.

Jones said he doesn't expect to be buying a car there.