Police Arrest Two in Car With Syringes, Children

Monrovia Police say they arrested a 21-year-old female and 22-year-old male near South Fifth Avenue and Genoa Street Monday at about 5:46 p.m. after a report that they were hitting each other while driving inside a car. The car was filled with drugs and needles and occupied by children aged 1 and 2, police say.

Police were tipped off to the situation by a phone call from a person who was following the vehicle, said Sgt. Dan Verna of the The person claimed to have seen the male driver hitting the female passenger.

When an officer started tailing the suspected vehicle, the male driver allegedly started throwing plastic baggies outside the driver’s side window, according to Sgt. Verna.

Sgt. Verna said when police pulled over the vehicle, an officer determined that the driver, Christopher Meza of Los Angeles, and the passenger, Laura Pineda of Los Angeles, were hitting each other. Police say they also discovered their two children in the back seat and hypodermic syringes in the car.

When police located the plastic baggies that Meza allegedly threw out the window, they discovered they were filled with methamphetamine.

Pineda was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of methamphetamine, hitting Meza and child endangerment. She was released later that evening.

Meanwhile, police say that Meza lied about his identity when he was first apprehended. Later, he was identified by his fingerprints and found to be on parole. Meza was booked on suspicion of hitting Pineda, child endangerment, lying about his identity and violating parole. Meza is still in custody.

The two children were handed over to the Department of Child Services.