On Tuesday night, Jan. 24, a Costa Mesa police officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a vehicle code violation but the driver refused to yield and subsequently led officers on a slow-speed pursuit through the east side of Costa Mesa.

During the pursuit, three bags of narcotics were tossed out of the fleeing vehicle.

The vehicle finally stopped in Newport Beach. With the assistance of the Newport Beach Police Department, officers conducted a high-risk car stop and arrested both subjects.

Officers safely recovered the three bags of discarded narcotics and discovered they contained approximately 30,000 multi-colored fentanyl pills.

 49-year-old Oscar Mercado-Arriaga, from South Gate, and 39-year-old Natalie Contreras, from Gardena, were arrested on suspicion of evading police and possession of fentanyl. A third person also was in the car during the pursuit but was not arrested.

Both arrestees were booked at the CMPD jail for felony evading and possession for sale of fentanyl.