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2 men arrested after cocaine found in truck
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More from Conejo ValleyTwo Thousand Oaks residents were arrested after police discovered a hidden compartment in a pickup truck concealing cocaine, police said Wednesday.
Luis Rivera, 23, was pulled over for a suspected traffic violation while driving near the intersection of Calle Pensamiento and Calle Jazmin in Thousand Oaks about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. Juventino Contreras, also 23, was the passenger in the truck.
Sheriff's Deputy Brian Slominski and his K-9 partner Ahron found a hidden compartment in the truck holding nearly 16 grams of cocaine, according to police.
Upon searching Rivera's residence on Avenida de Los Arboles, deputies said about 58 grams of cocaine were found along with $1,000 in cash.
According to officials, the cocaine seized totaled about 2.6 ounces, all packaged for sale, with an estimated street value of $4,000.
Felony charges against Rivera and Contreras include possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance and having a vehicle with a hidden compartment. Both men were being held Wednesday at the Ventura County Jail with bail set at $100,000 each.
Posted by gayala70 on September 20, 2007 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What right did they have to search the vehicle? They can not search unless the driver is a parolee or on probation or if the driver does not have a drivers liscence or if it was out in the open and the police saw it through the window. Where is the whole story? Any ways, glad they got caught!
Posted by AnnaWhaat on September 20, 2007 at 6:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Could be they looked loaded?
But I have to wonder about the other comment about the driver. When my son was on probation and I was driving my car.....with him in it. They pulled us over just to be idiots and did a search of my car! Which was rediculous! They found nothing.....
Posted by ioeel on September 20, 2007 at 8:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The officers have to first ask the suspect if they may search the vehicle. If the officer believes that there may be contraband in the vehicle, and it may be disposed of before a warrant may be obtained, then he can ask for a K-9 to search without actually opening anything. Once the K-9 has a positive response, then the officer has probable cause. As a driver, you have the right to refuse the search. Ask for your car to be impounded with the doors locked, and have it searched with an attorney present. Either way, if you have 16 grams of coke in your car, you are busted.
Posted by bcmjh on September 21, 2007 at 1:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Typical, bet they were illegal and renting out the house. glad the SO was doing their job and getting that stuff off of the street before it got to the kids.
Posted by AnnaWhaat on September 21, 2007 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ioeel ,Thankyou ,BUT wouldn't I then have to pay for impound fee's? Needless to say they found nothing in my car.......... I just thought it was rediculous to be pulled over for no reason.
Posted by AnnaWhaat on September 21, 2007 at 8:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
low_amps2 ,Does my race matter?
Posted by Face on September 23, 2007 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you obey traffic laws, keep your car registered and street legal (no broken lights, vehicle registration current, smoke not coming from tailpipe) then you will not be pulled over. It says they stopped the vehicle for a traffic stop.. and you better beleive they had probable cause once they interacted with the driver. That being said, here are two young men going to jail because drugs are illegal.. drugs that are illegal because upstanding family folks and drug cartels in league with politicians want to keep it that way.
Posted by yermom on October 15, 2008 at 12:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OMG yer all stupid. It's called PC
Posted by yermom on October 15, 2008 at 12:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good job VCSD
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