Suspected Drug Deal Leads To Arrests Of Watsonville Woman, Transient Man, Plus Loot In Vehicle

SANTA CRUZ, CA - Two people were arrested after a suspected drug transaction uncovered stolen items in a car on Friday afternoon in Santa Cruz, police said today.

Transient Tilden Ball, 31, and Watsonville resident Elizabeth Escamilla, 30, were arrested on suspicion of forgery, fraud, possession of stolen property, possession of narcotics, possession of paraphernalia and conspiracy to commit a crime, police said.

Shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, officers responded to a 911 call reporting a suspicious person sitting in a white Mazda MX-5 Miata in the 200 block of First Street, police said.

The caller saw two women, one in hospital scrubs, go up to the vehicle and suspected they were involved in a drug transaction with the car's occupant, police said. Responding officers went to the car and spoke with a person, later identified as Ball, sitting in the driver's seat, police said. Ball told the officers that the vehicle belonged to a friend and he was waiting for her to come back, according to police. Ball had a parole hold warrant out for his arrest, police said.

The 31-year-old was allegedly found with knives and methamphetamine when he was taken into custody, police said. A search of the car uncovered hundreds of syringes, drug paraphernalia, checks, credit and debit cards, gift cards and other property that was either stolen or forged, according to police. Officers also found an embosser machine used to alter or make credit cards, police said.

A woman, later identified as Escamilla, approached the officers during the search and claimed she was the car's owner, according to police.

Escamilla wore hospital scrubs and matched the description of one of the two women seen earlier by the 911 caller, police said. There were items in the car that connected Ball and Escamilla with one another, according to police.

Officers also found a large amount of mail, passports, driver's licenses and drugs in the car that were allegedly stolen, police said. Detectives are working on identifying the rightful owners and returning the items, according to police.

--Bay City News