Four people were behind bars Friday after a golf cart theft led deputies to search a property in Indio, where they found a handgun, drugs and items related to drug sales.
Lydia Ruiz, 39, 33-year-old Mestisa Labuen and 29-year-olds Erick Maldonado and Brandon White were arrested Thursday afternoon on varying charges, according to Sgt. LaFond of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
LaFond said that deputies were in the 82000 block of Indio Boulevard that day serving a search warrant that stemmed from a golf cart theft in La Quinta Nov. 26.
“During the service of the search warrant, over a quarter pound of suspected methamphetamine, 22 suspected Fentanyl pills and other items related to drug sales were located,” LaFond wrote in a statement. “Additionally, one of the subjects at the location was found to be in possession of a loaded Springfield 9mm handgun.”
The four suspects were subsequently arrested — Ruiz on suspicion of burglary, vehicle theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and violating probation; and Maldonado on suspicion of possessing narcotics with a loaded firearm, and being a felon in possession of ammunition and a firearm, according to LaFond. White was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale, and Labuen for an outstanding felony warrant.
All four suspects were booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center, where they remain held on varying bail bonds — Maldonado and Labuen on $10,000 bonds, White on a $70,000 bond and Ruiz on a $100,000 bond, according to inmate records.
Anyone with additional information on the case was asked to call Deputy Martin with the Riverside County Thermal sheriff’s station at 760-863-8990.