A 48-year-old Ceres man with an extensive criminal record found himself in the Public Safety Center early Sunday on new charges of possession of drug and stolen property.

At 12:30 a.m. Officer Charles Rushing was patrolling the area of 9th Street and El Camino Avenue in Ceres when he noticed a white Saturn parked near the intersection with license plates that didn’t match. He discovered that the rear license plate had been reported as stolen. 

Rushing found Brandon Cooksey, 48, of Ceres asleep in the car and noticed the steering column was disassembled. Cooksey was ordered out of the car and detained. Officers searched Cooksey and the car and found suspected heroin and hypodermic needles.

 He was booked for possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.