Photo: meth doesn’t make it into jail
TULARE – Detectives arrested seven people for their involvement in bringing drugs into Tulare County Jail. They still search for two more suspects. Due to the six-week long investigation, investigators foiled several attempts to bring drugs into the facility.
Consequently, detectives were able to trace the drugs to suspects linked to a criminal street gang from Tulare County. At the end of the investigation, a collaboration spanning multiple agencies received eight search warrants for homes in Tulare County.
Tulare County Sheriff Detectives, Tulare County Probation, Department of Justice TARGET Task Force, CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Visalia, Porterville, and Tulare Police Department, were all involved in the execution of the search warrants.
From the search warrants came the confiscation of 2.6 ounces of methamphetamine and the arrest of following people:
- Natasha Ladd, 42, Pixley: Conspiracy to commit a crime, sending a controlled substance into a jail facility, gang enhancements.
- Kamala Tarkington, 54, Pixley: Under the influence of a controlled substance.
- Arthur Jones, 51, Porterville: Possession of a controlled substance.
- Ramiro Martinez, 26, Terra Bella: Under the influence of a controlled substance, violation of parole.
- Dana Diaz, 32, Terra Bella: Outstanding warrants.
- Charles Crisswell, 51, Tulare: Possession of a controlled substance for sales, conspiracy to commit a crime, gang enhancements.
- Jose Gonzalez, 33, already in custody on unrelated charges is now being charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to send in a controlled substance into a jail facility, and gang enhancement in connection with this investigation.
Similarly, investigators still seek 27-year old Rosendo Martinez of Terra Bella and 43-year old Roy Perez of Tulare.
