Thread: Traffic Stop Leads Phoenix Police to house full of drugs,gun

Traffic stop leads Phoenix police to house full of drugs, guns
by Weston Phippen - May. 11, 2010 11:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A traffic-stop early this week led Phoenix authorities to a house full of cocaine, heroine, marijuana, cash and assault rifles.
Authorities pulled over a vehicle with two men in it near Peoria and Grand avenues in Peoria on Sunday. After a search, authorities found cocaine inside. Police also found a truck rental agreement with a home address near Dunlap Road and Seventh Street listed, Detective James Holmes said.
Phoenix police got a search warrant to investigate the house and soon found 2 pounds of cocaine, about 13 pounds of heroin, marijuana, assault rifles, hand guns, ammunition and thousands of dollars in cash, Holmes said.
Rogelio Flores, 20, and Juan Perez-Castro, 26, were both arrested on suspicion of possession of dangerous drugs.


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... z0o7eG0kXJ

After I read this story earlier this week I didsome background checks on both subjects. Juan Perez-Castro, 26, I found had two prior felony arrests for stealing cars. After his second arrest in 2005 he was sent to prison for 2.5 years and after serving half his sentence he was turned over to ICE for deportation.

It remains unclear after his first felony arrest if he was ever turned over to ICE but the court records show the judge was aware of his illegal status and ordered that a copy of his conviction be sent to ICE and he was sentenced to probation. Four months later he was arrested on his second felony which then violated his probation and his conviction on the second felony led to him being sent to prison.

He was turned over to ICE in 2006 for deportation. Not sure how long he has been back in the US continuing his crimes before being caught this week.

Rogelio Flores, 20, I only found that he was cited earlier this year in El Mirage for driving without a drivers license after running a stop sign. I wasn't able to determine his legal status but I am sure had this law been in affect then the El Mirage police department would have been able to since he was driving and held no valid drivers license.

All this information was available to me online via various public databases including his court records, convictions, prison record, and deportation date from prison.

I am curious why the reporter who wrote this did not do further research as to the prior criminal activity and report that as they have done on other stories. They have the same access to these records that I and anybody else with an Internet connection has.

I pulled this guys mugshot up on Sheriff Joe Arpaio website as he post any felony arrest brought to his jail for 72 hours on his site along with their picture, name, date of birth, and charges.

From there I went to the Maricopa superior courts website and brought up this guys past criminal records and convictions. After seeing he was sentenced to state prison I went to the Arizona Department of Corrections website and pulled up his prison record and photo which matched the other picture and data from Sheriff Arpaio's website and the criminal records of superior court. It was plain to see he was in the US illegally by these records.

Of course the left wing nuts would consider it racial profiling to ask these criminals if the were here legally.

Great post Watson and great questions. I hope you sent an e to the editor about it.

But one question you had I found interesting. Aside from the ridiculous nature of felons running free...was the reporters unwillingness to divulge the full story?

I surmise that the writer Weston Phippen may have:

1. Only been allowed so many words.
2. Has a personal agenda or is a bleeding heart liberal.
3. The paper is being careful now and does not want to incite...we have so much fear going on here now...

For me this is a HUGE issue. It is bad enough that they won't support the immigration laws. But to also let dangerous felons run free is beyond comprehension. And this is soooo common place here in Phoenix...
Did you check out all the comments at the story site? Crazy...

I would imagine reasons 1 & 3 and time.

while we are free to write just about anything in our own opinions and forums, newspaper reporters can't always do that, for legal reasons, for time constraints, because their publisher has a certain stance on issues he/she wants their paper to have, and unfortuately, this is only 2 drops in an ocean of illegals commiting crime.

Before the brief is even sent to the editor ("before the ink is even dry...") there is a bigger story happening to focus on.

if the story went to the newspaper in print, it might have had only limited space. AND at the time of print, it might not have been known by the paper, or reporter if the two arrested were illegal