Traffic stop leads to arrests

Police never know what they will encounter when they make a traffic stop. It could be a mom driving her kids to school or an escaped felon with a gun. They take their chances.

When Dep. Gene Martinez of Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement/Gang Unit initiated a traffic stop on a blue pickup truck on Sept. 18, 15.9 grams of cocaine was discovered, according to a report from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

Suspects Luis Rivera, 24, and Juventino Contreras, 24, both of Thousand Oaks were detained while a consent search of the trunk was conducted by Dep. Brian Slominski and his K9 partner, Ahron.

Following the traffic stop, the Special Enforcement/Gang Unit and the Sheriff's East County Narcotic Street Team searched Rivera's room in the 600 block of Avenida de Los Arboles and discovered another 58.6 grams of cocaine and $1,000 in cash, the report said.

Both suspects were booked at the East County Jail and transferred to the Ventura County Main Jail. They were charged with possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance and having a vehicle with a hidden compartment for the purpose of concealing a controlled substance.

Bail was set at $100,000 each.

- Nancy Needham