Traffic stop leads to drug arrest on Smith-Enke

By Ethan McSweeney

Maricopa police arrested a man after finding marijuana and methamphetamine in the trunk of his car during a traffic stop in the early morning hours of June 27.

A Maricopa Police Department officer pulled over the car belonging to Emmanuel Hernandez near Smith-Enke Road and North Vintage Drive around 1 a.m. for making a wide right turn, according to a police report. After approaching the car, the officer noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from the car, according to the report.

Hernandez, 19, told the officer that his friends had been smoking marijuana in the car earlier, the report read.

After the officer asked Hernandez to step out of the vehicle, however, Hernandez said “he wanted to be honest” and told the officer he had marijuana and methamphetamine in the trunk, according to the report.

Hernandez told the officer he could open the trunk, the report read, and the officer allegedly found four baggies of methamphetamine and one baggie of marijuana. Hernandez then told the officer he had another small baggie of methamphetamine in his sock, according to the report.

The methamphetamine weighed in at 6.7 grams and the marijuana weighed 27.3 grams.

Hernandez also allegedly told the officer that he was on probation. Police charged Hernandez with possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a dangerous drug.