The Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) took into custody one Issac Elias Romero, 33, of Santa Rosa, the latest chapter in a drawn-out battle against local narcotics operations. The SRPD Narcotics Team, chasing leads since April earlier this year, made the break in the case yesterday when they detained Romero following the execution of a search warrant on Guerneville Road, as reported by the City of Santa Rosa.
After detaining Romero, detectives turned their attention to a residence on El Portal Way, where evidence crucial to their case lay in wait. The search of Romero's residence yielded about three ounces of what is suspected to be cocaine, alongside clean packaging materials and a digital scale — all of which were found in a kitchen bag, unattended and within the grasp of Romero’s 6-year-old child had they been home. Fortunately, the child was in the care of a relative at the time of the search.
The consequences for Romero, following the discovery, are severe. He faces charges of possession of narcotics for sale and child endangerment, his bail soaring to $500,000.00. The specific charges, per the authorities, are "11351 H&S – Possession of a Narcotic for Sale" and "273a(a) PC – Child Endangerment," which suggest prosecutors are preparing for a rigorous legal battle ahead, as these charges reflect a direct violation of both state health and safety and penal codes.
