Santa Rosa street vendors arrested on suspicion of selling drugs after months-long investigation
SANTA ROSA — Santa Rosa police arrested three people after a months-long investigation into a suspected drug dealer who worked as a street vendor.
An investigation into 49-year-old Santa Rosa resident Victor Martinez-Diaz, also known as Siro Gilberto Ambrocio-Santos, began in April, according to police.
Police said he worked in the area of West Ninth Street, near Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, selling snacks to children and adults. He also allegedly sold drugs in the area, and in June, police said they had an undercover detective buy a gram of cocaine from him.
Detectives made their move on June 12 when they saw two people enter a white van on the 1200 block of Jennings Avenue. Officials said they pulled the van over and identified 21-year-old Jose Cazares and 29-year-old Marcos Ambrosio-Cortez as the occupants.
Inside the van, officers found a black fanny pack with a loaded handgun, money and seven plastic baggies containing about a gram each of what was believed to be cocaine, alongside vendor bicycles and food. There were also credit cards belonging to Cazares in the fanny pack, police said.
Martinez-Diaz was also spotted leaving in a white van, and police said they pulled him over.
According to police, they found a vendor bicycle, about 2.5 ounces of what might be cocaine and 17 grams of methamphetamine, money, a digital scale, and hundreds of small, plastic baggies.
Search warrants served at a home on the 1100 block of Hopper Avenue yielded a loaded handgun magazine, seven boxes of 9mm ammunition, a pay/owe sheet and money. Another search was done at a home on the 1200 block of Jennings Avenue, where only money was found.
In total, police said they confiscated $10,308.
Ambrosio-Cortes, Cazares and Martinez-Diaz were arrested on suspicion of possession and transportation of a controlled substance for sale and conspiracy.
Cazares additionally was suspected of being armed while selling drugs.