Expired registration leads to drug charges

Police arrested a man Wednesday night after allegedly finding drugs in a car during a traffic stop.

Gustavo P. Corraltitlan, 31, was charged with possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to provide driver’s license or evidence of identity after a 6:55 p.m. traffic stop on White and Parker Road near Honeycutt Road, police said.

According to a probable cause statement, Corraltitlan was driving a green 2001 Toyota Camry with registration that had expired in October 2020. The officer made contact with Corraltitlan, who apparently does not speak English and was unable to provide the officer with any form of identification, police said.

Another officer who communicated with Corraltitlan identified him from a previous arrest, police said.

The officer asked Corraltitlan for consent to search the vehicle and he agreed, according the probable cause statement. At some point during the conversation, Corraltitlan allegedly told police he was not a U.S. citizen.

While searching the vehicle, police said they found a methamphetamine pipe. Corraltitlan was subsequently arrested, police said.

Officers then searched Corraltitlan’s person and found a plastic baggie with a white crystal substance, which Corraltitlan allegedly identified as “crystal meth,” according to police. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine after a test with the TruNARC system. The methamphetamine weighed about 3.7 grams.

Corraltitlan was booked into Pinal County Jail, where he remained Thursday night, according to online inmate records. He has a preliminary hearing set for April 22.