Santa Barbara County – National employment statistics point to the difficulties many people are currently having in finding and keeping a job in today’s challenging economy. In Santa Barbara County, many labor activists are pushing hard for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 per hour; considering the legislative process, however, that may be a long way off from becoming a reality. Given the current job market situation and prevailing wages, some people—even those with steady employment—may be tempted to either moonlight with a second job or engage in “side work” that generates additional cash income.
Police display Gonzales’ stash
That phenomenon may explain why Joe Ruben Gonzales, a 26-year-old resident of Santa Maria and convicted felon who has been an employee of Johnny’s Smoke Shop in the downtown commercial area of the city, got creative and struck out on his own with an entrepreneurial activity that ended with his September 29th arrest.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, SBSD Detectives, who had been keeping an eye on the smoke shop’s retail activities, served a search warrant on the store and “discovered suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, ammunition, and narcotics packaging materials” all allegedly under the direct control of Gonzales.
Following that discovery, another search warrant was served on Gonzales’ residence, where “additional methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia” were located, giving law enforcement ample evidence to support his arrest. Gonzales was summarily taken into custody and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was charged with possession of methamphetamine for sale, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, with his bail set at $35,000.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department
