Calaveras County Authorities Make Three Narcotics Arrests in Two Separate Incidents
The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office has announced via press release the arrests of three people in two separate narcotics-related incidents.
In the early hours of Sunday, April 2nd, deputies patrolling the Valley Springs area reportedly stumbled upon a scene that appeared suspicious: two vehicles were parked behind a Starbucks, and upon closer inspection, they noticed two individuals who appeared to be sleeping.
Upon further investigation, they found that one of the passengers, identified as 36-year-old Ezra Phillip Land from Mokelumne Hill, had an open box of drug paraphernalia on his lap, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Both Land and the driver, identified as 22-year-old Amber Rose Strano from Avery, were awoken by the deputies, who then conducted a search of the vehicle. More drug paraphernalia was found — suspected fentanyl, Xanax pills, methamphetamine, smoking pipes, and multiple syringes.
Land and Strano were also administered field sobriety tests and were reportedly found to be under the influence of narcotics.
Both were arrested on suspicion of possession of a narcotic controlled substance, possession of unlawful paraphernalia, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
The suspected fentanyl was safely secured and taken to a secure evidence holding area to reduce the risk of exposure to Sheriff’s Office employees. Trained deputies will conduct formal testing in the coming days to confirm the substance.
Later that morning, around 8:40, a deputy patrolling the San Andreas area arrested 31-year-old Christopher Wayne Clements from Arnold, who was walking near the 100 block of West Saint Charles Street.
The deputy was aware of a valid warrant for Clements’ arrest. During a search, deputies found approximately seven grams of suspected fentanyl in his outer shirt pocket, two shotgun shells in his pants pocket, and a loaded short-barrel shotgun, high-capacity magazine, blasting caps attached to a small bag, and three social security cards with different names in the backpack he was carrying.
Clements was transported to the county jail for booking and charged with multiple felonies, including possession of a controlled substance for sale, transport controlled substance, make a destructive device, and possession of a short-barreled shotgun.
He also faces misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of other identifying information with the intent to use, possession of a large capacity magazine, and a local warrant, the Sheriff’s Office said.
