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Broken windshield leads to drug seizure

A traffic stop initiated because of a broken windshield led to drug charges for a New Mexico man on the night of May 2 according to a report from the Taos County Sheriff’s Office. The 29-year-old Peñasco resident was charged with possession of a controlled substance after deputies allegedly discovered heroin and methamphetamine in his Ford pickup truck. The man is said to have admitted to deputies that the illegal drugs belonged to him.

Suspect vehicle allegedly attempted to flee the scene

A TCSO sergeant says that he decided to pull the man’s black pickup truck over when he saw it proceeding southbound on State Road 518 between Peñasco and Taos with a broken windshield. When the sergeant activated his lights to conduct the traffic stop, he says that the pickup truck failed to pull over and instead picked up speed. The pursuit came to a speedy conclusion when a deputy intercepted and stopped the pickup truck on State Road 68. The sergeant says that he became suspicious because the man seemed extremely nervous and gave contradictory statements about his travel plans.

Handgun in plain sight leads to drug discovery

When the sergeant asked the man to exit his vehicle, he says that he noticed a handgun in a driver’s door storage compartment. The man is then said to have told the sergeant that he also had a shotgun in his truck. While retrieving the shotgun, the sergeant claims to have noticed two small plastic bags containing white powder. The man allegedly told the sergeant that the bags were his and contained heroin and methamphetamine. A search warrant was then obtained for the vehicle, and a further 4 ounces of methamphetamine were allegedly found.

Making admissions to police officers is usually unwise

Criminal suspects often feel that they have to say something when police officers ask them questions, but the U.S. Constitution gives them the right to remain silent. If you find yourself in this situation, and experienced criminal defense attorney would likely advise you to avail yourself of this right and say nothing until you have met with a lawyer. Remaining silent could be important even when the situation seems dire because admissions or misleading statements made to police officers may make negotiating favorable plea terms more difficult.