Benicia Police Arrest 3 in Narcotic Investigation

The City of Benicia, California sent this bulletin at 09/20/2011 04:48 PM PDT
Benicia police concluded a narcotic investigation with the arrest of three people Monday evening. The investigation focused on a residence in the 2100 block of Via Media in Benicia.
 
Taken into custody and booked into the Solano County Jail were:
 
Saeger, Stephen 42-year-old Benicia resident
Arrested for Possession for Sale and Transportation of Methamphetamine and Marijuana, Ex-Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Controlled Substance while Armed with a Loaded Firearm, Armed with a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Bail Enhancement set at $200,000. All charges are felonies.
 
Cox, Leon 52-year-old Benicia resident
Arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine (felony),  along with Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Narcotic Paraphernalia (both misdemeanors).
 
Salas, Raymond 63-year-old Benicia resident
Arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine (felony), Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance (misdemeanor)
 
Benicia police developed information over the past month that narcotics sales may be occurring at a Via Media residence.  Benicia Police Officer James Laughter, who recently served as Benicia's representative on Solano County's Cal-MMET drug investigation unit, gained enough evidence to obtain a search warrant for the residence.
 
On 9/19/11 at about 4:45 pm, Benicia officers stopped a car being driven by Saeger.  A subsequent search of the car he was driving found methamphetamine and marijuana packaged for sale and a loaded 9 mm handgun.
 
After the arrest, officer went to the Via Media residence with a search warrant.  Cox and Salas were contacted at the home and eventually taken into custody for their charges.  Of the three, Cox is the only one who resides at the Via Media home.
 
"Officer Laughter and the various officers that assisted in this investigation did an outstanding job," Benicia Police Lt. Mike Daley said. "We make drug investigations such as this a very high priority.  Drug houses affect the entire community and quality of life around them, plus drugs and weapons generally go hand in hand - posing a significant risk to our officers and citizens.  In this case, officers were able to safely make the arrests and take both drugs and another firearm off the streets of Benicia."
 
Anyone with information about drug related activity in Benicia is encouraged to call Detective Sergeant Scott Przekurat at (707)746-4244 or Solano County Crime Stoppers at (707)644-7867.