Springfield police officers stumbled upon a stolen U-Haul truck parked in a lot on High Street early Friday. The seemingly small find would soon prove to be anything but as they unearthed a hidden cache of weaponry, drugs, and likely ill-acquired cash, apprehending a 20-year-old suspect, Jose Santiago-Pacheco, in the process. Seized from this discovery were a large-capacity firearm, an additional 30-round magazine, cocaine bags, and over $900 in cash, according to Springfield Police Department's report.
The officers, having initially located the stolen vehicle, conducted a traffic stop, detaining Santiago-Pacheco, who was driving the truck. An ensuing search of the truck would reveal an illegal firearm, loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition, leading to the arrest of Santiago-Pacheco.
However, the contents of this U-Haul were not just limited to an unlicensed weapon; officers would soon uncover further ammunition along with a considerable amount of drugs and cash.
Among the other items discovered within the truck were a 30-round magazine loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition, over 20 individually packaged bags of cocaine, and more than $900 in cash. The Springfield Police Department has since charged Santiago-Pacheco with a slew of offenses, including carrying a loaded large-capacity firearm on a public way, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, possession of a large-capacity firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a high-capacity magazine/feeding device, distribution of a Class B drug, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. Additionally, Santiago-Pacheco had an arrest warrant with charges such as attempt to commit a crime, trespass, disorderly conduct, and possession of burglarious instruments.
