He Was Released, but Not His Money : Courts: Melecio Gonzalez was arrested with $100,000. He wants it back, but the city says no.

Somewhere in police custody sits Melecio Gonzalez’s $100,000.

He wants it back. With interest.

Gonzalez, 26, was arrested 14 months ago by Fullerton police during a narcotics investigation. The accusation: carrying more than $100,000 for the purpose of buying and selling illegal drugs, a felony.

The police seized Gonzalez’s money and took him into custody. Two days later, they dropped the case--but kept the money.

Now, more than a year later, Gonzalez wants the money back. And the city of Fullerton doesn’t want to give it to him.

“Your agents took my money and failed to return it to me,” Gonzalez wrote in a claim to the city of Fullerton. “My $100,000 was taken without any reason.”

According to papers by Gonzalez in Orange County Superior Court, the city of Fullerton says Gonzalez waited too long--10 months--to claim his money. The deadline is six months.

Gonzalez says he doesn’t speak English and didn’t learn until it was too late that he needed to file a claim at all. He is asking an Orange County Superior Court Judge to waive the deadline and let him have his money.

Gonzalez didn’t return phone messages left Tuesday at his home and office. His lawyer, Andrew Levy, couldn’t be reached for comment.

In his court petition, Gonzalez didn’t say why he was carrying such a large amount of cash.

Fullerton Police Lt. Jeff Roop said he wasn’t familiar with the details of the case. But he said people who have property seized during drug-related arrests often do not ask that it be returned.

“They don’t want to be tied to it,” Roop said.

Times staff writer Len Hall contributed to this report.