Felon arrested after Redding traffic stop uncovers handgun, meth, body armor
REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a Kern County felon was arrested after a Redding traffic stop that uncovered a loaded firearm and ammunition, methamphetamine, and ballistic body armor Sunday afternoon, Oct. 17.
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At around 3:30 p.m., a City of Redding police officer conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a four-door Cadillac for Vehicle Code violations near the intersection of California and Shasta streets, Redding Police Corporal Aaron Hollemon has since said of the traffic stop and arrest.
The driver of the vehicle, Jose Betancourt, 28, of Bakersfield, was determined to be on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) out of Kern County with multiple prior felony convictions.
Jose Betancourt was arrested after a Redding traffic stop uncovered a loaded handgun and sales quantities of methamphetamine. Redding PD photos
As the officer was speaking with Betancourt, he noticed the smell of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and detained the felony probationer.
“To ensure that Betancourt was abiding by the terms of his Post Release Community Supervision, a search of the vehicle was conducted,” Holleman explained.
During a subsequent search of Betancourt’s Cadillac, the officer discovered a backpack within easy reach of the driver’s seat and inside the backpack the officer found a loaded .40-caliber Glock semiautomatic handgun
The officer also located ballistic panels, approximately 2.5 ounces (72 grams) of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle according to Holleman; who said the felon admitted ownership of the illegal items found inside his vehicle.
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Based on their investigation and findings, officers arrested Betancourt and he was booked into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, being a felon in possession of body armor, transportation of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm. He was also booked on a handful of unspecified misdemeanors.
Online jail records indicate he has since been released and is no longer in custody.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, 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.