A Costa Mesa traffic stop ended in drug, gun and other charges for a parolee

A Costa Mesa police officer pulled over a suspect for a vehicle code violation as the suspect was leaving a motel on Newport Blvd., on Jan. 19. It turned out the suspect was up to no good!

The police officer had been on a proactive patrol of the area. The suspect, who was identified as a parolee with a suspended driver’s license, was in possession of about 15 ounces of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a lot of cash, and a loaded gun.

The suspect was promptly arrested. The Costa Mesa Police Department did not identify him by name.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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