Drug Arrest Outside Munster Hotel Uncovers Nearly 20 Grams of Cocaine
A late-night welfare check by a Munster police officer at a local hotel parking lot led to the discovery and arrest of a man in possession of cocaine, marijuana, and narcotics paraphernalia.
At approximately 3:03 a.m., Munster Police Officers conducted a routine check of the Hyatt Place Hotel on Calumet Avenue when they spotted a red Chrysler 300 idling in a parking space. Inside, the officer observed a man slumped over in the driver’s seat, appearing unconscious. Concerned for the man’s welfare and suspecting a possible overdose, Officers approached the vehicle and noted a glass pipe with residue, commonly known as a crack pipe, on the man’s lap, along with crumpled bills containing white powder and a clear plastic bag containing a significant amount of suspected cocaine.
The man, identified via an Illinois ID as Ronald E. Garcia II, 42, of Chicago eventually awoke and was questioned by officers. Garcia admitted that the substance was “crack, cocaine,” and not heroin, and confirmed he had been sitting in the lot for about an hour. As he stepped out of the vehicle, the glass pipe fell onto the seat, further corroborating the Officers observations.
Detectives responded to the scene and assisted in the investigation. A search of Garcia’s vehicle uncovered additional suspected cocaine, burnt brown resin believed to be crack, copper scrubbing pads used as filters in narcotics pipes, digital scales with residue, spoons with burn marks, and a zip-lock bag of marijuana.
Garcia ultimately admitted, stating, “To be honest, I was smoking the crack.” He added that he had relapsed and purchased “a couple eight balls” of cocaine in Chicago two days prior.
Field tests confirmed the presence of cocaine in the bag on the seat, the crack resin, and on several paraphernalia items including the scale, spoon, and pipe. The marijuana also tested positive for THC. In total, Munster Police seized 17.0 grams of powdered cocaine, 2.7 grams of suspected crack cocaine, and 6.2 grams of marijuana.
A review of Garcia’s criminal history revealed a prior conviction for possession of cannabis in Cook County, Illinois in 2010.
Garcia was taken into custody and the substances and paraphernalia were logged into evidence at the Munster Police Department. Garcia was charged with:
Level 4 Felony – Possession of Cocaine; Between 10-28g
Level 5 Felony – Possession of Cocaine; Between 5-10g
Misdemeanor- Possession of Marijuana with a prior drug conviction
Misdemeanor- Possession of Marijuana
