By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A Del Rio man was arrested on a drug possession charge Saturday after police tried to stop the vehicle he was riding in for speeding.
Angel Roberto Escobar, 23, 113 Burge Drive, was arrested and charged with the offense of possession of a controlled substance, Penalty Group 3, less than 28 grams, a Class A misdemeanor, Del Rio Police Department Cpl. Dulce Gonzalez said Monday.
Gonzalez said DRPD Officer Alexandro Serrano was on patrol in the 700 block of East Gibbs Street at 2:20 a.m. on Saturday when he observed a tan GMC Yukon “traveling at a high rate of speed.”
“He confirmed the speed with his moving radar, which indicated the vehicle was traveling 44 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone. The vehicle continued to travel at a high rate of speed, and radar detected its speed at up to 55 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone,” Gonzalez said.
She said Serrano reported he attempted to stop the vehicle, but it turned north onto Avenue D and continued to make several turns, causing the officer to believe its driver was trying to elude him.
“The officer later located the vehicle, now stationary, in an alleyway located in the 300 block of North Main Street. Contact was made with the occupants of the vehicle, and additional officers arrived on-scene to assist,” Gonzalez said.
Serrano reported when he approached the driver’s side window of the vehicle, he smelled the odor of marijuana.
“Upon searching the vehicle, he located a black plastic baggie containing a large amount of pills, which he collected. Due to (the baggie) being located under the left rear seat, and the only person being within arm’s-length was a man identified as Angel Roberto Escobar, Escobar was arrested,” Gonzalez said.
She said Escobar was transported to the police station for booking and processing.
Serrano reported he removed the white, rectangular pills from the baggie, and they weighed a total of 4.5 grams.
He also reported he recognized the size and shape of the pills, which he believed to be alprazolam, an anxiety medication also marketed as Xanax.
Gonzalez said the two other persons in the vehicle, and the driver and front seat passenger were not charged with any criminal offenses.
—
Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
