This is a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On 08-23-2020 at approximately 9:30 PM, a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Toyota truck for a vehicle code violation at Hopper Lane and Ledger Lane in Covelo, California.
The Deputy contacted three subjects inside the vehicle and discovered they were all from Santa Rosa, California.
A passenger, Jesus Espinoza, was holding a bag of “Chex mix” when contacted. While running records checks on the subjects, the Deputy noticed Espinoza toss items outside the vehicle.
Sheriff’s Office Dispatch advised Espinoza was on pre-trial release with terms of obey all laws and submit to search.
The Deputy checked the area where they saw Espinoza toss the items and located two small clear plastic bags containing a white powdery substance.
The Deputy searched Espinoza per the terms of his pre-trail release, also including probable cause and locate a large amount of US Currency on his person. In the “Chex mix” bag the Deputy located five more small clear plastic bags containing a white powdery substance.
Further investigations led the Deputies to believe the white powdery substance was cocaine.
Due to the numerous bags of cocaine with similar weights, the large amount of US Currency, other evidence and the Deputies training and experience it was determined the cocaine was possessed and being transported for sale (11352(A) HS).
Espinoza was also in violation of the terms of his pre-trial release (violation of a court order 166(A)(1) PC). Espinoza had also tried to conceal or destroy evidence (135 PC) by throwing the items out of the vehicle.
Espinoza was told he was under arrest and he crossed his arms and refused to follow verbal commands. Espinoza began physically resisting and pulling away from Deputies as they tried to place him into handcuffs. Espinoza was subsequently placed into handcuffs without injury to himself or the Deputies.
Espinoza was transported to the Mendocino County Jail on the above listed charges where he was released on zero bail at the conclusion of the jail booking process. This was due to the Judicial Council adopting a temporary emergency statewide COVID-19 bail schedule.
