Carson City Sheriff's Office arrests: Pair jailed for alleged felony meth trafficking

Two were arrested Friday night in the area of Woodside and Stanton Drive on felony drug trafficking charges after more than 32 grams of methamphetamine was recovered following a traffic stop, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Arrested were Jorge Avalos-Pena, 42, and Irene Hernandez, 32, of Sparks. They’re being held on $250,000 bail each.

According to the arrest report, an officer with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team saw a silver colored Volvo pass in front of him while in an unmarked patrol vehicle. The vehicle didn’t have a license plate and had tinted windows.

The officer stopped the vehicle, and spoke with the female driver, Hernandez. The officer advised her of the reason for the traffic stop. She provided him with a Florida driver’s license.

The officer asked who the car belonged to and she said she recently bought it but didn’t have the bill of sale or insurance. The car did have a valid moving permit. The officer asked how long she lived in the Nevada and she said a few months. The two were asked to step outside the vehicle while a canine did an exterior sniff of the vehicle.

A deputy asked the male passenger if he could be searched. The man agreed. Inside his right front pant pocket was a cigarette box with six bundles of meth inside, the arrest report states.

The bundles turned out to weigh 32.5 grams. The man was read his Miranda rights which he waived in order to talk. He said that a friend told him to deliver the meth to Carson City and he would receive $100 and about an 8 ball of meth. He said he is dating Irene and they were not currently employed. The officer read the woman her rights and she waived them to talk.

She said she was going to a friend’s house to drop off someone. The woman told a deputy she was going to deliver an 8 ball of meth to Reno and she stated she knew they were in Carson City to deliver drugs.

Both were arrested and taken to jail. Avalon-Pena was arrested for level 3 trafficking, over 28 grams and possession drug paraphernalia for packaging material. Hernandez was arrested for principal level three trafficking, over 28 grams, no proof one insurance, tinted windows that exceeded law standards and being a resident with a non-resident license.

In other arrests:
— A 23-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday, 12:31 a.m. in the area of Roop and Fairview for suspicion of DUI and failure to maintain a lane of traffic.
According to the arrest report, deputies were dispatched for an unknown injury accident.

The reporting witness said it was a single vehicle crash and they watched one man run from the vehicle after the crash. Deputies met with witnesses who said they saw the vehicle spinning in the nearby dirt field and then the crash with one person leaving the scene.
The suspect returned, walking northbound on Roop Street back to the vehicle and spoke with deputies.

He said he made a stupid decision to drive but his friend told him he was OK to drive. At first he said he was the only person in the car but said that his friend was the driver, the arrest report states.

Officers contacted witnesses who identified him as the one who ran from the vehicle. Both witnesses said he was the only person to run from the vehicle, the arrest report states. He showed signs of impairment and proved a partial preliminary breath test with a .221. He was arrested for suspicion of DUI and failure to maintain a lane of traffic. The man did not consent to an evidentiary blood draw. A search warrant was applied and for and a judge granted the blood draw. Bail: $1,224.

— A 40-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday, 2:24 a.m. in the 1800 block of Stewart Street on suspicion of DUI, failure to maintain a lane, failure to yield for an emergency vehicle, open container and violation of a suspended sentence. According to the arrest report, a deputy observed a vehicle straddling the No. 1 and No. 2 travel lanes on Stewart Street.

The deputy attempted a traffic stop at Stewart and Adams but the vehicle failed to yield to the deputy’s patrol car and continued northbound on Stewart Street. The vehicle then turned westbound onto David Street and immediately turned into the apartment complex on the corner of David and Stewart.

The officer parked and the sole occupant exited. The officer instructed the man to get back into the vehicle. The man told the officer, “no, I’m going home.” The officer instructed him to return multiple times, but the man refused. He was arrested and handcuffed.

The officer could smell a strong odor of alcohol. Inside the vehicle the officer located an open 32 ounce Budweiser behind the passenger seat. The man refused to submit to evidentiary sobriety tests and told the officer to get a search warrant, which was granted. Bail: $3,053.

— A 43-year-old Carson City man was arrested Friday, 10:41 a.m. in the 3200 block of Market Street on suspicion of misdemeanor petit larceny, obstructing and resisting an officer and violation of a suspended sentence. The man attempted to steal $116 in items from Walmart, including women’s underwear.

According to the arrest report, a sheriff’s detective was inside Walmart working on another case. He observed a man leave the exit with two shopping bags filled with items. The security alarm sounded as he was walking toward the exit.

A Walmart clerk asked for his receipt. The man said he couldn’t remember which register he was at. The detective asked for the man’s identification. The man asked for a reason. The officer identified himself as a detective with the sheriff’s office and that he set off the alarm.

The man dropped the bags and began to walk away. The officer grabbed him by his arm to detain him. He pulled away with force and ran toward the exit. The officer chased him outside into the parking lot. The officer grabbed him by the shirt, where the man took a fighting stance and punched at the officer’s torso and forearms. The officer was able to get him to the ground and observed a knife in his pocket. Other officers arrived as the man continued to resist arrest. He was tasered and placed into custody.

Walmart loss prevention reviewed video and advised the suspect took merchandise to the men’s apparel area where he placed the items into two shopping bags. He walked through an empty register with the two bags full of items. He attempted to leave the store without paying for the items, valued at $116.13 including women’s panties. Bail: $3,264.

— A 31-year-old Carson City man was arrested Friday, 1:53 p.m. on a misdemeanor warrant for contempt of court issued out of Reno Township Court. Bail: $550.

— A 48-year-old Carson City woman, Michelle Renee Scott, was arrested Saturday, 12:19 a.m. int he 1500 block of Rand Avenue for a felony parole and probation violation, misdemeanor violation of a suspended sentence warrant and failure to stop at a stop sign. According to the arrest report, a deputy observed a van the woman was in not stop for a posted stop sign at the intersection of Rand and Long streets.

The deputy made a traffic stop. Dispatch advised she had a confirmed warrant, was on state parole and probation with conditions of no alcohol and having a curfew. She provided a preliminary breath test of .08 and was arrested for felony suspicion of parole violation. A no bail hold was placed on her in lieu of a hearing.

— A Kern, Calif., woman was arrested Friday, 10:05 pm. in the 400 block of East William Street for a misdemeanor warrant, violation of a suspended sentence. Bail: $1,000.

— A 36-year-old Stagecoach woman, Laura Leslie Chaney, was arrested Friday, 4:45 p.m. in the 1100 block of Fairview Drive on felony suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia and less than an ounce of marijuana. Bail: $4,374.

— A 62-year-old Carson City man was arrested Friday, 4:26 p.m. in the 1800 block of East College Parkway on misdemeanor suspicion of DUI drugs first offense in seven years. According to the arrest report, deputies were dispatched to a non-injury accident in front of 1865 College Parkway.

Upon arrival an officer observed a pickup in the number one lane with front end and right side damage blocking west bound traffic. The officer made contact with the driver of the truck who advised the other driver pulled out in front of him without warning causing the accident.

The officer spoke to the second driver involved, the suspect, who had already removed his vehicle from the road to a nearby parking lot. The officer observed the man seemed disoriented and sluggish. His speech was thick and slurred as well as low and raspy. He was unsteady on his feet and seemed drowsy. When asked for his driver’s license the man fumbled through his pockets for several seconds before figuring out he left it at home, according to the arrest report. He stated he was not injured in the accident.

A deputy began a series of standardized field sobriety tests. The officer asked medical questions and the man said he was under a doctor’s care for pain. He listed four specific medications, morphine for pain, Oxycontin for pain, Tizanidine for a muscle relaxer and Temazapam for sleep, the arrest report states.

The man advised he took morphine, Oxycontin and Tizanidine at 3 p.m. with about three ounces of gin and tonic to wash it down. He further advised he took Temazapam and smoked marijauana earlier to help him sleep. He explained he has a medical marijuana card as well to help him with arthritis pain. The man displayed signs of impairment on the tests and was arrested. Bail: $1,137.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.