Georgia man charged in Arizona after K-9 finds 18 pounds of meth in car
A Georgia man is in jail in Arizona after authorities there said a K-9 sniffed out 18 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in his car.
Luis David Tienda-Calixtro is in a Yavapai County Jail facing a charge of possession of a controlled substance for sale in connection with the stop.
Yavapai deputies stopped Tienda-Calixtro as he was driving a silver Nissan Altima about 10:30 p.m. April 3, a statement from the sheriff’s office said. Yavapai County is more than 90 miles north of Phoenix.
“He was extremely nervous throughout the initial contact with the K-9 deputy and not licensed to drive,” the statement said.
Authorities “detected ongoing deception and suspected the vehicle contained drugs” while speaking with Tienda-Calixtro about the reason for the stop and his travel plans, according to the the statement. Officials asked to search Tienda-Calixtro’s car, and the man consented.
Initially, deputies didn’t find any contraband, the statement said. However, the K-9 led the official to the rear passenger door area of the sedan. Authorities used a video scope to find a hidden compartment in the car, which contained 18 packages of methamphetamine weighing one pound each, the sheriff’s office said.
Tienda-Calixtro is being held in the Camp Verde Detention Center in lieu of $400,000 bond.
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About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
