High School Drug Sting Nets 11 Arrests

El Cajon police arrested 11 people Tuesday in an investigation of drugs sales to high school students.

The arrests come three months after an undercover officer enrolled as a senior at El Cajon Valley High School, said Lt. Bob Lein, of the El Cajon Police Department.

Officer Tina Lawrence bought small quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine and LSD from several students and adults.

Six juveniles and five adults were arrested Tuesday and authorities expect to arrest another juvenile who moved to Los Angeles shortly after the undercover operation began. Police also expect to arrest two other adults in the El Cajon area.

The five arrested adults, from El Cajon, were being held in County Jail, Lein said. They are: Nathan H. Badgett, 18, a student at El Cajon Valley High School; Darrell Alan Bair, 20, and Paul Jason Bair, 19; Raymond Christopher Cuero, 20; and Frank Lawrence Pena, 21. Paul Jason Bair was arrested at the Target store where he works and the other adults were arrested in their homes.

In addition to Badgett, four other students were arrested at El Cajon Valley High School and another at Chaparral High School, Lein said.

The adults and the juveniles were booked on suspicion of possessing and offering for sale small amounts of the drugs, Lein said. Bail for the adults ranged from $3,000 to $10,000.

Lawrence, the undercover officer, made 14 buys and spent about $1,000 during the investigation, Lein said. “The target of the investigation is drugs for personal use. Enough drugs for a weekend,” he said.

Officers also served five search warrants to residences in El Cajon. Lein said the “supply chain (of drugs) was traced to an apartment in the Allied Gardens area of San Diego.” Investigators were serving a search warrant at that apartment late Tuesday.