Cab driver among five arrested in Carson City drug bust

Acting on several tips of drugs allegedly being sold out of a home with children inside and local from a taxi cab driver, Carson City Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team officers arrested five people Thursday night at a Condor Circle home.

Officers confiscated small amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, more than 30 pieces of assorted drug paraphernalia and cash after a search warrant was granted. Three children — two four-year-olds and a seven-year-old — were taken into protective custody, according arresting Carson City sheriff’s officers.

Arrested were Christina Wahlstrom, 41, a taxi cab driver. She faces four felony charges, including possession of methamphetamine, intent to sell, harboring a fugitive and maintaining a drug house and two misdemeanor charges, possession of drug paraphernalia and child endangerment. Bail: $39,774.

Also arrested were:
— Michael Ian Hutchinson, 20, on felony charges of maintaining a drug house, felony prisoner escape, possession of a controlled substance, gross misdemeanor warrant for battery on a police officer, two misdemeanor court warrants and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $39,209.

— Bryce Linton, 21, on felony charges of harboring a fugitive, maintaining a drug house, gross misdemeanor child endangerment, and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $31,137.

— Jonathan Canas, 21, of Dayton, on felony charges of maintaining a drug house, possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor warrant charge and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $26,637.

— Kimberly Sebring, 22, on a felony charge of probation violation and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. On bail hold for felony charge, bail for misdemeanor, $1,137.

Working on multiple tips, including information there were two men inside the home with arrest warrants, SET officers responded to the Condor Circle address at 10:59 p.m. and met with Wahlstrom outside near the garage. A Carson City sheriff's sergeant explained to the woman why they were at the location. The woman denied any drug use, sales or wanted people inside the home.

While standing at the location, a man stepped out of the garage and then quickly turned around and went back into the home, the arrest report states. Wahlstrom denied knowing who the man was. She gave officers permission to go inside the condo to look for the person who ran. SET officers checked the home and located a 16-year-old female and her 21-year-old boyfriend, Linton locked in a bedroom. Linton lived at the location and is Wahlstrom’s son.

Deputies gained access through a second-story window looking for the two men with warrants. One of the men, Hutchinson, was wanted for battery on a peace officer, and Canos for violation of a suspended sentence. Both men were found in a bedroom. At one point, Huntchinson attempted to flee.

Once the location was secured with the wanted men out of the location, SET obtained a search warrant from a Carson City judge to search the location. During the search more than 35 pieces of drug paraphernalia were located in the residence including Wahlstrom’s bedroom. She was also in possession of a key that opened a locked box that was full of drug paraphernalia, the arrest report states.

In the bedroom where Canos and Hutchinson were in, officers found baggies, with residue, spoons with residue, tourniquets, digital scales and .4 grams of heroin. In Linton’s room offices found several large bongs used to smoke marijuana, around .3 grams of marijuana and several glass marijuana smoking pipes.

Wahlstrom, a cab driver, stated she had been working and had stopped by her home when officers arrived. She asked officers to retrieve her purse. During a search of her purse officers found three small plastic baggies containing small amounts of methamphetamine that appeared to be packaged for sale. Also recovered was $1,800 in cash. A 16-year-old female in the house made a statement to officers that Wahlstrom sells methamphetamine while working as a cab driver in order to support the household, the arrest report states.

SET had previously been working with information about a local cab driver selling illegal drugs from their cab. The information and arrests may be related to this incident and further investigation is still pending, according to the arrest report. The cab company gave officers permission to search their cab that Wahlstrom had been driving, according to the report.

In the home were two four-year-old children and a seven-year-old. One child belonged to Wahlstrom while the two other children belonged to her adult son. Child and Family Services responded to the location and took custody of the children who had been sleeping on couches in the main living room and did not have their own rooms or areas to sleep in, the arrest report states.