Cyclist Charged With Marijuana Possession

A routine traffic stop Wednesday of a bicycle rider who was seen driving erratically by a San Diego police officer led to the driver’s arrest for various narcotics violations.

According to a police report, Officer John Hausotter was patrolling at 6:45 p.m. in the 4500 block of Wightman Street in East San Diego when he observed Jose Padilla, 25, pedaling his bicycle in an erratic manner and violating several traffic laws.

Hausotter pulled the man over and searched him. Police said that Padilla was allegedly carrying marijuana in one of his pockets and carried four bricks of marijuana, weighing a total of about 4 pounds, in his backpack. The officer seized the drugs and $407 in cash that Padilla was carrying.

Padilla was arrested and charged with possessing marijuana and transporting marijuana for the purposes of selling. Police also learned that he was wanted on an outstanding narcotics warrant, a police spokesman said.