Photo:Hector Garcia
Ventura County – 43-year-old Simi Valley resident Hector Garcia may be a doting father to his 11-year-old son, but the presence of the boy in Garcia’s residence resulted in his being charged with a violation of PC§273a(a), child endangerment.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Eduardo Malagon, Garcia has been under suspicion by the VCSD East County Street Narcotics Team as a possible drug dealer targeting residents of Ventura County. Those suspicions lead to the issuance of a search warrant of Garcia’s residence.
Garcia’s stash
That search warrant was served early in the evening of February 28th as “detectives contacted Garcia outside his residence” and summarily detained him. Garcia stood in the front yard while the cops searched his vehicle and his residence. It was soon learned that Garcia was a tenant in an apartment where he “rented a room within the apartment which he shared with his 11-year-old son.”
It was inside that room that detectives made contact with the boy, who was escorted outside during the ensuing search. The search of the bedroom lead to the discovery of “124 grams of cocaine and 98 grams of methamphetamine,” as well as assorted drug paraphernalia “indicative of narcotics sales.” All of the illegal drugs were “unsecured and accessible” to Garcia’s young son.
Garcia was taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on the aforementioned child endangerment charge and for possession for sale of controlled substances.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office East County Street Narcotics Team.
