Photo: Stock Image
23-year-old Solvang resident Eduardo Andres Sanchez made several mistakes when he got behind the wheel of his car and went for a drive just after the midnight hour on the streets of his hometown.
The first mistake he made was putting a vehicle on the road without a front license plate in place, a requirement for all passenger cars on public thoroughfares. The lack of that mandated identifier gave a Santa Barbara County Sheriff Deputy all the probable cause required to conduct a routine Vehicle Code traffic stop. According to SBSD Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, once contact was made with him, Sanchez “was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was subsequently arrested.”
But as if a routine DUI bust wasn’t enough bad luck for Sanchez, the uniform patrol deputies on the scene then conducted a follow-up search of Sanchez’s car and discovered “a loaded un-serialized short-barreled rifle” as well as a significant amount of narcotics beyond that of a mere drug user.
Sanchez was summarily transported to Santa Barbara County Jail at that point, where he was booked on charges of misdemeanor DUI, transportation of narcotics for sales, possession of a controlled substance for sales, illegal possession of an assault weapon, manufacturing a short-barreled rifle, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and being a prohibited person carrying a loaded firearm.
Sanchez remains in custody with his bail set at $250,000.
