Two suspects accused of selling methamphetamine at Sunnyvale’s Fair Oaks Park allegedly turned drug handoffs into a scavenger hunt, hiding narcotics beneath tanbark, in shrubbery and under fixed objects for customers to retrieve. Both were arrested last Tuesday and remain in Santa Clara County Jail after an undercover investigation into suspected drug sales at the park.
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said Wednesday that its Community Crimes Unit partnered with the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team to investigate the operation. Investigators identified two people they described as primary dealers and made repeated undercover methamphetamine purchases from both, according to Sunnyvale DPS.
According to the department’s account, the suspects used more than one way to complete sales. One method involved selling narcotics directly from a vehicle staged near the park, while another had customers pay first and then follow directions to a hidden stash, a system investigators characterized as a treasure hunt designed to reduce the chance of being seen.
After the suspects were apprehended on warrants last Tuesday, investigators served additional search warrants at residences and vehicles connected to them. The searches produced more evidence related to narcotics sales, and vehicles allegedly used to facilitate the operation were impounded.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed charges related to the sale and transportation of controlled substances, the department said. The public update did not identify the suspects by name or provide the specific counts filed in the case.
Drug investigation unfolded at a busy Sunnyvale recreation spot
Fair Oaks Park is a 15.3-acre city facility with a playground, skate park, sports fields, basketball courts, picnic areas and other amenities, according to the City of Sunnyvale’s park listing. The alleged sales activity unfolded in a public space used by families, athletes and other residents throughout the day.
Separate 2025 bust also targeted drug activity near Fair Oaks Park
The latest case is separate from a November 2025 operation in the Fair Oaks Park area that led to charges against a Sunnyvale apartment manager. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said that the investigation uncovered heroin, methamphetamine, firearms, explosives, and cash at an apartment and storage facility, with the apartment located next to an elementary school and city playground.
For the current case, both suspects remain in custody while the charges proceed through Santa Clara County’s criminal court system. An arrest or charging allegation is not a conviction, and additional court details were not included in the department’s public update.
