Santa Barbara – In spite of the daunting odds of having a successful and lasting marital union in America today—where the divorce rate (3.6 per 1,000 population) is more than half the current marriage rate (6.8 per 1,000 population)—some marriages do follow the vows calling for devotion to the coupling in spite of any manner of adversity.
Those loving devotionals vows may surely be tested in the case of Mr. & Mrs. Alejandro Mendibles Jr, both of whom were arrested in the early evening of November 1st by members of the Santa Barbara Police Department’s Narcotics Unit. According to SBPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood, for the better part of two months Mendibles and his wife Haydee Marisol Ochoa Mendibles, 41, had been the focus of an ongoing “investigation into Mendibles’ narcotics activities” which ultimately led to the service of a search warrant upon their residence and vehicle.
Haydee Marisol Ochoa Mendibles
The SBPD Narcotics Unit, working in tandem with the Santa Barbara Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team and the SBPD Criminal Impact Team had their eyes on the husband and wife at approximately 7:30 p.m. on November 1st when they alighted from their car and strolled toward their San Pascual Street apartment. They were brought up short by multiple officers and informed that they were the subject of a lawful search, whereupon an examination of their persons and vehicle was conducted.
Haydee Mendibles, like most women, was carrying a handbag…but unlike most handbags, this one was found to contain “nearly one-half pound of methamphetamine valued at $4,000”. When queried as to the reason her purse had more than a lipstick, wallet, and car keys inside, the devoted wife Mrs. Mendibles admitted that she “was carrying the drug on behalf of her husband who was out of custody on bail following a previous possession of methamphetamine for sale arrest.”
Further investigation pursuant to the warrant revealed the couple to be in possession of more than $3,000 in cash, along with “other indicia of drug sales”, according to Harwood.
Both husband and wife were arrested on the scene and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where they were booked on charges of possession of methamphetamine for sale, transportation of methamphetamine, and conspiracy to possess methamphetamine for sale. Alejandro, 45, was also charged with committing a felony while released from custody on bail. His bail was set at $55,000, while his loving wife’s bail was set at $30,000.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
Read more:
EdHat: Drug dealers arrested
Independent: Married couple arrested for meth sales
Noozhawk: SB couple accused of meth sales
