MILAN, N.M. –
Milan Police Departments alleges that 43- year-old Marvin Padilla of Grants, New Mexico, threw a ball full of drugs and paraphernalia over the guarded fence to Cibola County Correctional Center on May 9. Padilla is now facing charges of bringing controlled substances into places of imprisonment, as with other crimes, all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Caught in the Act
Around 3 p.m. on May 9, Padilla approached a guarded fence at Cibola County Correctional Center and allegedly threw a standard-sized tennis ball over the fence and onto the north side of CCCC property. CCCC is a correctional facility, narcotics of any kind are strictly forbidden on facility grounds. A correctional officer was on patrol of the perimeter and confronted Padilla about his proximity to the fence.
According to a report from Milan Police Department, Padilla allegedly told the correctional officer that he was playing catch, using a frisbee and tennis ball, with his son. No frisbee was found near Padilla and there was no other person with or near him. Padilla asked the correctional officer if he would retrieve the ball for him, the correctional officer refused. In an attempt to recover the ball that was now on CCCC property, Padilla allegedly offered to pay the correctional officer $200.
After the correctional officer refused to accept the money, Padilla disengaged and went inside the office of CCCC to ask if he could get his ball back. By this point CCCC officers had already retrieved the ball and contacted MPD.
Drug Ball
This was no game of schoolyard tennis. After cutting open the ball Padilla allegedly threw, officers discovered: Five modified syringes; nine strips of Suboxone; four grams of methamphetamine; two grams of tobacco; and a silver-gold wristwatch
Sgt. Galindo said that the syringes could be used for injecting illegal narcotics in an effort to get high. Suboxone is a schedule three narcotic which means it has a low potential for creating an addiction. The suboxone came in small strips, not unlike a standard bandaid, and is typically used to lessen the effects of drug addiction; when used incorrectly, the drug can become an addictive narcotic. Also inside the ball, investigators discovered four grams of crushed up methamphetamine, and two grams of tobacco.
The wristwatch inside the ball was gold and silver in color, and was described as being a status item that incarcerated individuals could use to gain popularity. At Cibola County Correctional Center, incarcerated individuals are allowed to wear personal shoes, which can also be status items. These articles of clothing are used to build popularity.
Correctional officers recovered and the ball, emptied it of all contents, and returned it to Padilla.
The Arrest
Officers Joshua Pacheco and Antonio Pohl of Milan Police Department arrived on scene just as Padilla was walking out the front door, they noticed Padilla had a blue tennis ball in his hand; the ball was hollow, with all drugs and other paraphernalia removed by correctional officers.
Officer Pacheco allegedly asked Padilla if the ball belonged to him, to which Padilla allegedly claimed it was not. Pacheco pressed Padilla and asked where he received the ball, Padilla claimed a correctional officer gave him the ball. Pacheco, undeterred, asked why Padilla had possession of the ball if it wasn’t his, Marvin said a correctional officer gave it to him. CCCC confirmed this with the officers and Padilla was placed under arrest for bringing controlled substances onto a place of imprisonment.
As the officers placed Padilla under arrest, Officer Pacheco realized that Padilla had a knife in a brown sheath on his side, which is considered con traband when inside correctional facilities. While conducting a search of Padilla to ensure that he had no weapons or other items on him, Officer Pacheco allegedly discovered “a rolled-up paper towel in his right coin pocket” which later was put through a presumptive test and identified as methamphetamine. Padilla allegedly said he did not know what the substance is.
Padilla was booked at CCCC on four counts of Bringing Contraband into Jail, one count of Bribery of a Witness, and one count of possession of a controlled substance. All of these charges are felonies. Padilla will have a preliminary examination with Cibola County Magistrate Judge Johnny Valdez on March 24 at 1:15 p.m.