Man arrested after Redding K-9 discovers meth, heroin, cash, stolen handgun

April 25, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

REDDING, Calif. — Authorities say a felon who was found passed out at a Redding gas station was arrested after a police K-9 led to the discovery of narcotics, cash, and a stolen handgun early Sunday morning, April 25.

The drug bust was the second significant drug-related arrest involving Redding Police Department’s K-9 “Chase” within hours of the same overnight shift, after another incident involving a reckless driver who was arrested after the police service dog uncovered more than five pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a Sacramento man’s car.

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Redding Police officers contacted the man, later identified as 25 year old Abel Saldana, of Garden Grove, at 2:44 a.m. after finding him passed out in a vehicle sitting at a set of gas pumps at a 76 Gas Station at 1275 Churn Creek Road, Redding Police Sergeant Chris Mills has since said of the incident and arrest.

After waking Saldana and talking to him, officers observed a large amount of cash concealed inside a Doritos bag on the passenger seat of the vehicle.

A Garden Grove man found passed out in his vehicle at a Redding gas station was arrested after officers discovered methamphetamine, heroin, more than $3,000 cash, and a loaded handgun that had been reported as stolen from Oregon. Redding Police Department photo

“Officers deployed K-9 ‘Chase’, who is trained to locate suspected narcotics, to assist in searching the vehicle,” said Mills.

After Chase alerted to the possible presence of narcotics, officer conducted a search of Saldana’s vehicle, at which time they discovered more than 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine and heroin in various quantities, more than $3,000 in cash, and a loaded handgun.

A records check revealed the handgun had been reported as stolen out of Grants Pass, Oregon.

As a convicted felon, Saldana is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Based on their investigation, officers arrested Saldana and he was later booked into Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, possession and transportation of controlled substances, and possession of a stolen firearm.

Online jail records at the time of this report did not specify if Saldana was still in custody or if he had already been released from custody.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R026878 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.