Deputies say a 19-year-old Coachella man was quietly running a cash-heavy marijuana business aimed at local teens until an investigation caught up with him in Cathedral City.
Riverside County sheriff’s investigators pulled the suspect over in Cathedral City, then served a search warrant at a home in the 86000 block of Calle Geranio in Coachella. Inside, they reported finding drugs, a gun and a thick stack of cash. The Thermal Sheriff’s Station booked the suspect into the John J. Benoit Detention Center and says the broader investigation into sales to minors across the Coachella Valley is still active.
Search warrant turns up vape pens, mushrooms, gun, and cash
During the warrant search, deputies recovered marijuana vape pens, psychedelic mushrooms, a firearm with an altered serial number, and roughly $25,000 in cash, according to NBC Los Angeles. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 19-year-old Manuel Guerra Meza of Coachella and said he was taken into custody without incident.
Part of an active Thermal Station investigation
The arrest ties into an ongoing probe launched earlier this year by the Thermal Station into people suspected of selling illicit substances and targeting minors, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in an earlier statement. Deputies made a related arrest in April as part of what officials described as a broader push to clamp down on vape pens and other drugs being funneled to students around the Coachella Valley. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office has urged anyone with information about similar activity to contact investigators.
Charges and booking
Meza was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center and faces allegations that include furnishing marijuana to a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number and willful harm to a child, according to NBC Los Angeles. Sheriff’s officials say detectives are still running down leads to determine the full scope of the alleged operation.
Legal context
Under California law, adults who supply cannabis to minors or involve minors in the sale or transport of cannabis can face significant penalties. State Health & Safety Code provisions outline felony sentencing ranges for adults who furnish cannabis to underage people, with punishment varying based on the minor’s age and the conduct alleged. Courts may also order counseling or education programs in related cases. See Health & Safety Code section 11361 for specific statutory language.
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact Deputy Olivares at the Thermal Sheriff’s Station at 760-863-8990, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials say tips from residents and witnesses could help them better map out any broader distribution network involving local youth.
