3-Week Costa Mesa Probe Ends in 9 Heroin Arrests
Nine people were arrested Monday night and Tuesday morning on suspicion of selling heroin to undercover Costa Mesa police officers, ending a three-week investigation into drug trafficking near a neighborhood bar.
Police Sgt. Tom Boylan said that the three-block area surrounding the High Tide bar at 727 West 19th St. has been the hub of the city’s heroin traffic for some time now and that investigators were hoping the arrests might curb the drug sales “for a while.”
Boylan said none of those arrested worked at the bar.
The narcotics officers bought a total of 100 heroin-filled balloons either inside or near the bar for $10 apiece, Boylan said.
James Edward Hill, 36, of Costa Mesa and his wife, Mary Alexis, 35, were arrested at their Costa Mesa home near the bar on warrants charging them with heroin sales.
Bonnie Jean Herbert, 29, of Costa Mesa was arrested on suspicion of having narcotic paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, and was held on $1,500 bail.
Roberto Sanchez, 25, Abraham Ocampo Anaya, 28, Majin Medina Martinez, 23, Jose Bartolo Hernandez, 21, Miguel Angel Gavino, 20, and Antonio Ochoa, 24, alleged illegal aliens from Mexico who live in Costa Mesa, were arrested on suspicion of heroin sales, Boylan said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
