San Mateo, CA, was the scene of a crime crackdown early Thursday when police conducting routine traffic stops snagged two men on serious charges, including firearm and drug possession. San Mateo Police Department officials report that at approximately 2:50 a.m., an officer pulled over a silver BMW on Highway 101 for a traffic violation when a loaded gun and narcotics became the unexpected haul.
The driver, identified as 26-year-old Jose Cruz Narvaez of Sunnyvale, had a loaded 9mm pistol within arm's reach, wedged ominously between the driver's seat and the center console, and was promptly detained along with his passenger, Carlos Lopez Ramirez, 31, from San Mateo, after the discovery an officer saw. Narvaez was being questioned, the vehicle was then searched leading to the additional discovery of various narcotics secreted away.
According to the San Mateo Police Department press release, a more extensive search of the car revealed multiple stashes of controlled substances, compounding the allegations against the pair. Narvaez is facing multiple charges including possession of a controlled substance while armed, carry concealed weapon in vehicle, and carry loaded firearm in public, as well as possession of a narcotic and a controlled substance with Lopez Ramirez getting slapped with possession of a narcotic.
Both men were shipped off to San Mateo County Jail, where they are currently residing, the specifics of their charges under California's Health and Safety Code and Penal Code include 11370.1(a) HS- Possession of a controlled substance while armed, 25400(a)(1) PC- Carry concealed weapon in vehicle, 25850(a) PC- Carry loaded firearm in public for Cruz Narvaez, and 11350(a) HS- Possession of a narcotic for Lopez Ramirez; the San Mateo Police has not disclosed whether the men have posted bail or have legal representation as of this writing.
