Execution of search warrant turns into a drug bust

A couple in Papago was arrested last week after allegedly being busted for drugs during the execution of a search warrant pursuant to a separate theft case.

Brandon Joel L. Benavente and Consalacion M. Sablan were arrested last week for alleged possession of methamphetamine and unregistered firearms when police executed a search warrant on the two’s residence pursuant to a separate theft case.

The pair was brought before Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho for a bail hearing last Friday. They were each slapped with a $100,000 cash bail.

Both Benavente and Sablan were remanded back to Department of Corrections’ custody after their bail hearing where they will remain pending court proceedings.

The pair was ordered to return to court on Feb. 9 for a preliminary hearing while their arraignment is set for March 4.

According to court documents, police were granted a search warrant for Sablan and Benavente’s residence in Papago last Jan. 31, in relation to a pending theft case. The search warrant also authorized a search of the property’s surroundings and a blue color Toyota Echo they owned.

When the DPS team executed the warrant on Feb. 1, they escorted both Benavente and Sablan out of the house so a thorough search could be done.

The team allegedly found a Daisy brand .22 long rifle leaning against a wall by a mirror. Officers also uncovered a total of 30 pieces of .22 caliber ammunition and some stolen items related to other burglary and theft cases.

In the search done on the pair’s blue Toyota Echo, court documents indicate that the officers did not find evidence in the theft case, but K9 officer Randal Taitano and his dog, Laca, allegedly found a broken glass pipe, an ashtray with a clear mini-Ziplock bag containing marijuana, and a Ziplock bag with two orange pills.

Inside the residence, DPS K9 officer Jesse Deleon Guerrero and his dog, Beni, were called in. Together, they helped officers find multiple mini-Ziplock baggies containing white crystal-like substances in different areas of the home.

The substances found in the home and in the Toyota Echo later tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.

At about 9:33am, police arrested both Benavente and Sablan for illegal possession.