Mendocino County: Suspicious vehicle leads to arrest on suspicion of narcotic sales
A Mendocino County man was recently arrested for alleged possession of a controlled substance for sale.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, on the night of March 23, a deputy came across a vehicle parked near a row of mailboxes on Hearst Willits Road in Willits and, due to the time of night and in light of recent mail thefts, stopped to speak with the occupants.
When the deputy stopped, the occupants drove away. The deputy followed as they made a sharp turn into a driveway and was able to make contact when they stopped, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The driver, identified as 34-year-old Liam Ross Smith, and the occupant, identified only as an adult female, reportedly didn’t live at the property they turned onto and didn’t know the residents. Smith also turned out to be on searchable probation, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies then searched the vehicle and reportedly found a plastic container housing a digital scale, packaging material, a suspected controlled substance, and other paraphernalia. Additional evidence was found in the center console, prompting suspicion that Smith had been dealing.
Smith was taken into custody on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sale, construction of a false compartment, and probation violation. He was booked on $25,000 bail.
