PALESTINE —
Thanks to an assist from an alert Good Samaritan, two Palestine men were arrested on drug charges Wednesday by representatives of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Raymond Soliz, 31, of Palestine was arrested on multiple charges, including tampering with evidence; possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram; resisting arrest; and evading arrest, according to Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor.
Othell C. Brown, 36, of Palestine, meanwhile, was arrested on the single charge of possession of a controlled substance between 4 and 200 grams, according to the sheriff.
Around 1 p.m. Wednesday, Taylor said sheriff’s investigators Lee Duren and Ryan Tolliver “were out looking for a particular vehicle (a red Ford Explorer) they suspected to be involved in narcotics trafficking.
“They spotted that vehicle on East Palestine Avenue and it turned into the Magnuson Hotel,” the sheriff stated.
Soliz was the vehicle’s lone occupant, according to Taylor.
“When they (the investigators) approached him on the driver’s side, they had to reach in and turn the vehicle off because he tried to drive off,” the sheriff explained.
Soliz then hopped over the center console; quickly exited the front passenger’s side door; “and took off running,” according to Taylor.
The suspect was running through the parking lot of Don Jose’s restaurant when a concerned citizen intervened on the side of law and order, according to the sheriff.
“A Good Samaritan saw they were chasing him and stuck his foot out and tripped him,” Taylor said. “That allowed the officers to get on top of him. They saw him stuff some plastic baggies in his mouth trying to ingest it. They took him to the hospital and he refused medical treatment.”
A small amount of methamphetamine was discovered in Soliz’ possession at the time of his arrest, according to the sheriff.
Officers subsequently went to a room at the hotel where they say Soliz was headed at the time of his arrest, Taylor explained.
Brown answered the door and allowed officers to enter the room, according to the sheriff.
Officers found approximately 88.1 grams of methamphetamine, including packaging, in the bathroom of the hotel room occupied by Brown, resulting in his charge, according to Taylor.
“A smoking pipe” commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and “a small amount of marijuana” was also discovered in the room, the sheriff stated.
As of Friday, Soliz remained in the Anderson County Jail in lieu of bonds totaling $120,000 set by Anderson County Justice of the Peace James Westley, while Brown was being held there in lieu of bonds totaling $101,500 also set by Westley, according to records.
Taylor said his agency believes the arrested suspects are “tied to” 34-year-old Leslie Ann Deltoro who was described by the sheriff as “a major player” in the area’s distribution of methamphetamine following her arrest earlier this month.
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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com
Local News
Good Samaritan assists in drug arrest
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Boil water notice issued for Elkhart residents
A boil water notice has been issued for City of Elkhart residents. It reads as follows:
Due to a water main line break, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required our water system, City of Elkhart PWS id 0010005, to notify customers of the need to boil their water prior to consumption. -
Reagan Park Spray ground to open Saturday
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Annual Bluegrass Music Festival begins today at Salmon Lake
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Steps of Faith Dance Center production Saturday
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“We’re going to take you to a land far away and tell you the ‘real’ story of some of your favorite fairy tale characters,” Steps of Faith Dance Center owner Jennifer Ballew said. “The production is full of lively fun music, a reminiscing ol’ Granny, and of course the incredible dancing of several talented students.” -
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Memorial Day celebration set Saturday
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Longview man injured in motorcycle wreck
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Traffic stop leads to arrest
A Palestine man remained in jail Monday on drug-related charges following a suspicious vehicle stop in Anderson County on Saturday.
According to Sheriff Greg Taylor, while on patrol in the early morning hours on Saturday, deputy Johnny Gorden saw a suspicious vehicle sitting on the side of U.S. 287 between Palestine and Elkhart. -
Residents urged to welcome back local troops on Wednesday
Palestine area residents are asked to help welcome back the local National Guard troops, which will be coming by bus to the National Guard Armory in Palestine at about 3 p.m. Wednesday.
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