Police on horseback arrest suspected meth dealer
Gilroy police officers on horseback arrested a man with about three ounces of methamphetamine on him in the city’s downtown May 4, according to authorities.
The police department’s Mounted Unit was conducting a “quality of life” enforcement detail, in response to ongoing complaints of municipal code violations and other criminal activity in downtown Gilroy, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.
On the 7600 block of Monterey Street, the mounted officers approached a man and woman who appeared to be drinking alcohol in public, reads the post. The man, later identified as Michael Abeyta, was found to have several warrants for his arrest. Two of the warrants were for felony violations.
While attempting to arrest Abeyta, he resisted and it took two officers to overcome his struggling, according to police.
After he was detained, the officers found nearly three ounces of methamphetamine in his possession, police said. He was also in possession of an illegal switchblade knife and another “dangerous weapon.”
Abeyta was booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of possession of meth for sales, resisting/delaying an officer, possession of a switchblade, possession of a dangerous weapon and outstanding arrest warrants, according to authorities. The woman, who was not named in the Facebook post, was cited to appear in court for “minor warrants” and was released.
Drug trafficking investigation nets 15 pounds of meth
An investigation into drug trafficking led police to a suspect traveling in Gilroy with a large quantity of methamphetamine, according to a Facebook post on the Gilroy Police Department’s page.
On May 4, Juan Quinterosicarios, 35, was arrested for being in possession of 15 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle, in the area of Tenth and Chestnut streets, police said. Officers also served a search warrant on Quinterosicarios’ home in Monterey County.
“The City of Gilroy has long been known as a destination city for narcotic traffickers due to its centralized location which is linked by major highways,” the Facebook post reads.
The investigation into the suspected drug trafficker was initiated by the Gilroy Police Department’s Anti-Crime Team. It was a joint operation, also involving the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team, United Narcotics Enforcement Team, Drug Enforcement Administration, Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team and the California Highway Patrol.
