Crime & Safety

17 Lbs. of Pot, Cash Seized As Suspected Dealer Trio Jumps from Hotel Balcony to Flee From Santa Cruz Cops

Big mistake to have rented a non-smoking room.

Three men were arrested and 17 pounds of marijuana and $1,700 were seized Monday after police responded to reports of excessive smoke coming from a non-smoking motel room in the beach area of Santa Cruz, according to police.

Shortly after 6 p.m., the Santa Cruz Police Department was called by lodging staffers concerned by the smell and smoke from one of their rooms near Cowell Beach.

Police learned that the man who allegedly rented the room, Christopher Hudson, 20, Aptos, was on probation for marijuana sales, but no one was in the room when police arrived at 6:15 p.m.

The subjects returned at 7 p.m., and when police appeared at their door, the trio reportedly jumped from their fourth-floor balcony to a rooftop below and made their way to the parking lot, police said. However, officers and K-9 cop Argus were hiding in nearby bushes and the three were arrested, police said.
 
A marijuana-filled duffel bag was discarded along the suspects' escape route, police said, and was recovered along with $1,700 of cash and jars of marijuana -- all labeled -- found in the room.

Arrested were Hudson, Chance Martinez, 19 of Soquel, and Tyrelle Antwine, 18 of Capitola, for suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale and resisting arrest. Hudson also faces the probation violation, police said.


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