A former student of Redlands East Valley High School was nabbed by authorities on charges of peddling narcotics to minors, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reported. Manases Flores, a 20-year-old resident of San Bernardino, was apprehended following an investigation led by the school's resource officer, Deputy D. Rodriguez, that exposed his illicit activities surrounding the sale of marijuana, vape pens, various other narcotics, and unregistered firearms to students.
According to a press release by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, Flores was caught red-handed at his home on East Hardt Street on Monday afternoon, where a search warrant executed by Sheriff's deputies yielded not just illegal drugs but also a trove of U.S. currency and several illegal firearms, this operation spanned multiple divisions within the department, including the Specialized Enforcement Division, the Sheriff's Narcotics Division, and Central Station detectives.
The suspect now faces charges related to narcotics sales and various felony firearm offenses and is currently held in the Central Detention Center under a $50,000 bail. In light of the recent arrest, local authorities urge anyone with further information to contact Deputy D. Rodriguez or Deputy R. Olivares of the Central Station at their phone number, with the option for anonymity through the We-Tip Hotline or their online platform for tip submission.
The community's crackdown on the spread of narcotics, especially to the youth, is a priority, Sheriff's School Resource Officer Rodriguez emphasized in the ongoing effort to safeguard students, assisting officers and detectives are diligently pushing forward with the investigation to ensure that schools can serve as safe zones free from the grip of illegal substance peddling.
