Photo: Jacob Cardenas
Santa Barbara County – Having a reputation as a documented member of a criminal street gang may give one a certain degree of “street cred,” but it also keeps one on the radar of law enforcement teams focused on the activities of such individuals.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Eric Raney, 26-year-old Santa Maria resident Jacob Cardenas is just that sort of fellow. Evidence of that came on October 8th when—following “a several month’s long investigation—Cardenas was arrested following the execution of multiple search warrants on his home and vehicle.
Cardenas’ stash
When the search warrants were served via “forced entry,” Cardenas, “a convicted felon and suspected Westpark gang member” on active probation, was in his residence bathroom “actively attempting to flush narcotics down the toilet.” Cardenas was summarily taken into custody as more than three pounds of (presumably damp) methamphetamine were recovered.
Also recovered on the scene were a half-dozen loaded firearms and “approximately $11,000 in cash.”
Cardenas was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on charges of possession of a controlled substance, being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a controlled substance while armed. He was also booked on a pre-existing warrant “involving a vehicle pursuit” that took place just a week earlier, and remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Special Investigations Bureau, Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
