Traffic stop leads to drug suspect’s arrest

A routine traffic stop led to the arrest of a Tujunga resident who was allegedly in possession of narcotics and fraudulent credit cards, police said.

At 2:52 p.m., officers pulled over a vehicle driven by James Earl Abel, 32, near Verdugo Road and Dixon Street, according to Glendale police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot.

A quick background check revealed that Abel was on formal probation for possession of controlled substances for sale and had two outstanding felony warrants for alleged drug sales, Lightfoot said.

A search of the vehicle also turned up a wallet allegedly belonging to Abel containing counterfeit $10 bills and eight re-encoded credit cards, she said.

Also found was a rolled up U.S. Bank credit card statement. The credit card account number matched the numbers which were embossed on the cards, Lightfoot said.

Abel was placed under arrest for the warrants and additional identity-theft charges.

He was being held in lieu of $450,000 bail.

Riding with Abel was Glendale resident John Robert Bates, 34, Lightfoot said. A search of his home in the 1200 block of East Harvard Street turned up four glass methamphetamine pipes. Bates was initially taken into custody, but then released at the scene.

The case is being presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.