South Sacramento was the scene of a substantial drug and firearm bust last night after Sacramento County Sheriff’s Detectives and POP Deputies, ENGAGED IN PROACTIVE PATROLS, initiated a vehicle stop that rapidly escalated into a chase and subsequent crash, according to information released by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. The incident began when officers attempted to stop a Toyota Camry, which resulted in the driver, identified as Gabriel Quintero, leading the officers on a pursuit with assistance from the Sheriff’s helicopter, STAR.
After a collision with an unsuspecting civilian's vehicle at a red light, Quintero attempted to flee on foot but was promptly detained by the detectives, the collision did not result in any injuries to the civilian. A subsequent search of Quintero's vehicle revealed a small arsenal and a cache of drugs that included three loaded firearms, approximately 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, a quarter pound of cocaine, and almost a half pound of potentially lethal fentanyl and hydrocodone pills, in addition to roughly $30,000 in cash.
The seriousness of these finds is underscored by the lethal potency of fentanyl—just 2 milligrams of which can be fatal. Quintero is no stranger to law enforcement, being a convicted felon with a prohibition on firearms and ammunition possession and a history comprising a previous arrest linked to a 2012 South Sacramento gang-related shooting where a 3-year-old was tragically killed; a hung jury resulted in his release after that case went to trial.
Currently, Quintero is being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he awaits a court appearance scheduled for today, August 15, with bail being denied in his case, a turn of events that once again puts him at the center of the justice system’s scrutiny with the breadth of his alleged crimes casting a stark light, again, on the intertwined issues of drug trafficking and gun violence.
