Sheriffs Make Drug Busts in North County

Two separate busts by Santa Barbara Sheriff’s narcotics detectives in North County netted them more than $7,000 in drugs, $3,200 in cash and five arrests, including one man who had gotten away from deputies in a car chase more than a month ago. Detectives served a search warrant at a residence in Lompoc on Wednesday, where they found about 67 grams of methamphetamine with a $6,700 street value and four grams of cocaine valued at $400. They also seized two grams of methamphetamine and other contraband at a Tanglewood site as part of the warrant. Detectives arrested Jose Evangelista, Leopoldo Perez and Felipe Vasquez, each 34 years old.

The next day, detectives came across a vehicle “associated with a parolee at-large,” according to Sgt. Erik Raney. The man, 27-year-old Ernest Johnson, had escaped deputies in a car chase, but detectives later observed Lompoc resident take part in a drug deal and arrested both him and 32-year-old Lompoc resident David Williams. Also seized were small amounts of methamphetamine and other drug contraband, Raney said.

All five men were booked into Santa Maria Jail.