(RIVERSIDE) Police found drugs and a sawed-off shotgun in a west suburban Lyons home after a DUI suspect was recorded talking to himself in the back of a police car about getting home and hiding the contraband.
At 2:09 a.m. Friday, an officer stopped a vehicle in the 2700 block of Harlem Avenue in Riverside after seeing the vehicle speeding and driving erratically, according to a statement from Riverside police. The driver, 25-year-old Anthony X. Aranda, had slurred speech and a strong scent of alcohol on his breath.
Aranda, of the 4000 block of Center Avenue in Lyons, failed a field sobriety test and refused to take a portable breath test, police said. He was arrested and put in the back of the police car.
The officer switched the squad car’s camera system to record the back seat of the car while he checked on a passenger in Aranda’s vehicle, police said. While the officer was gone, Aranda began talking to himself about needing to get home to get rid of his drugs and weapons.
While checking on the passenger, 25-year-old Imelda Marines, the officer discovered she had outstanding arrest warrants for drunk driving and a traffic offense, police said. She was also arrested and placed in the back of the police car with Aranda.
During the drive to the police station, Marines said on camera that she had methamphetamine hidden inside a body cavity so investigators couldn’t find it, police said.
Once they arrived at the station, the officer reviewed the camera footage and learned about the drugs and weapons at Aranda’s home and the drugs Marines was hiding, police said. A female officer searched Marines and found the methamphetamine.
Officers used the video footage to obtain a search warrant for Aranda’s home, and during a search at 5 p.m. Friday they found a sawed-off shotgun with ammunition, cocaine, marijuana and paraphernalia used for the manufacture and delivery of narcotics, police said.
Aranda was charged with DUI, speeding and improper lane usage after the traffic stop, police said. After the search of his home he was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, possession of cocaine and cannabis, manufacture and delivery of cocaine, manufacture and delivery of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Marines, of the 6900 block of West Pershing Road in Stickney, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and obstructing police in addition to being processed under her outstanding warrants, police said.
