Suspect Flees Briefly Before Police Recover Cocaine, Mushrooms, and Marijuana
A traffic stop in Santa Monica led to the arrest of a man found with a loaded handgun and a significant quantity of drugs, police said Thursday.
Santa Monica Police Department officers, patrolling the 00 block of Bay Street around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, observed a parked vehicle with the driver’s door open. The driver was seen handling suspected drug paraphernalia, according to a police statement.
When officers approached and attempted to detain the man, he became uncooperative and repeatedly reached toward the center console, police said. A brief struggle followed before the suspect fled on foot. Officers apprehended him a short distance away.
A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded handgun positioned between the driver’s seat and center console, within the suspect’s reach. Authorities also recovered a significant amount of cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana.
The suspect, whose identity was not released, remains in custody pending further investigation, police said. No additional details were immediately available.
