Maricopa DUI checkpoint nets $150,000 in marijuana

The Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force made a 300-pound pot bust in the city of Maricopa yesterday.

The bust occurred around 7:17 p.m. when deputies attempted to stop a silver Pontiac Grand Am driving southbound on John Wayne Parkway.When the driver of the vehicle failed to stop, a pursuit ensued.

The pursuit took deputies southbound through the city and turned into a manhunt when the driver ditched the vehicle in the Fry’s parking lot and fled on foot into a residential neighborhood with the passenger of the vehicle.

Deputies set up a perimeter and were able to capture the passenger of the vehicle, Jose Alejandro Ramirez-Zaragoza. Zaragoza admitted to deputies he was in the United States illegally.

Deputies were not able to locate the driver, but after a thorough search of the vehicle discovered nine bundles of marijuana.

Zaragoza was booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center on counts of possession of marijuana for sale, possession of marijuana and transportation of marijuana.