Passenger during traffic stop faces crimes after search of his car allegedly finds drugs

A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon resulted in the arrest of a rear-seat passenger on misdemeanor drug charges after nearly 2 ounces of methamphetamine was allegedly found where he was sitting.

Zachary Dillian Garcia, 31, listing an address on Hillwood Street, was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. and charged with possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, with intent to deliver, punishable by up to ‘to 10 years in prison, and drug possession. paraphernalia, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Garcia was being held on $8,500 bail and was scheduled to appear in Garland County District Court on Friday. He has no criminal history, according to court records, but was convicted of misdemeanor theft of property in 2013 and 2014 and received a one-year prison sentence, suspended, each time.

According to the probable cause affidavit, at approximately 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Hot Springs Police Officer 1st Class William Stockwell saw a white 2016 Dodge Charger westbound on East Grand Avenue and allegedly knew the vehicle belonged to two people who did not have a license. Driving license.

After confirming that one of the people had a suspended license and the other only had a state ID, he conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle at Murray Street and West Grand and took contacted the driver and asked her if anyone in the vehicle had a driver’s license.

She said the rear passenger, identified as Garcia, did so and provided Stockwell with his license. A front-seat passenger was stopped and found to be on probation with an active search waiver on her record.

Stockwell told them he was going to search his area of ​​the vehicle and asked the others “if they would mind” if he searched their area as well and they apparently consented.

During the search, a black backpack was allegedly found in the rear floor “where Garcia was sitting,” and it contained a plastic bag containing 54.5 grams, or 1.9 ounces, of what was later tested positive for methamphetamine.

The backpack also contained two clear glass pipes, a digital scale and a box of plastic bags. Stockwell also allegedly found men’s cologne, a condom and other items belonging to a man in the backpack.

He interviewed the two occupants and they both stated that the bag belonged to Garcia that they had picked up an hour earlier on East Grand. They noticed he had the backpack with him when they came to pick him up.

At that point, Garcia was taken into custody and transported to the Garland County Detention Center where he was booked shortly before 4:30 p.m.