WATSONVILLE — A Watsonville man was arrested Tuesday during a traffic stop after an officer found a bag of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun in his vehicle.
Mario Juarez, 20, was charged with possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possession of a loaded firearm while in the possession of a controlled substance. He was also charged with driving with a suspended license.
Juarez was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.
According to Watsonville Police Sgt. Eric Montalbo, WPD officers stopped a vehicle with illegal tinted windows at the Chevron gas station at 1851 Main Street at about 3:50 p.m.
The officer noticed the Juarez, the driver, was acting nervous, and was reaching down towards the floor board of the vehicle, Montalbo said. The officer asked the driver and other occupants to step out of the vehicle, and once he did the officer noticed a baggy of methamphetamine in plain view near the driver’s seat.
Juarez was arrested, and a search of the vehicle revealed a loaded handgun under the driver’s seat.
