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Suspicious man at park arrested for drugs, warrants
• Arrest made at River Bluff Regional Park
Michael Garciarodriguez
Michael Garciarodriguez

A 25-year-old Ceres man who was in the parking lot of River Bluff Regional Park in a car with missing license plates Friday morning was arrested for warrants and drug possession.

At 9:18 a.m., Officer Eric Souza noticed a white Chrysler PT Cruiser with missing plates and contacted Michael Garciarodriguez, 25, of Ceres who was leaning inside the driver’s door. 

Officer Souza inquired about the vehicle and was told it had been recently purchased in an auction and was waiting for the plates to arrive. Garciarodriguez said he didn’t have his driver’s license and gave a name that proved wrong. Officer Souza checked the name – which later proved to be his brother’s – and learned that that person had a no-bail felony warrant issued by Stockton Police. Officer Souza placed the man in handcuffs. 

At this point, Garciarodriguez confessed that he gave his brother’s name as his own.  Michael, it turned out, had two felony warrants, one issued by the Santa Clara Police Department and the other from the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department. During a search of the Cruiser, suspected methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe turned up. 

Garciarodriguez was arrested for the warrants, impersonating another to make them liable, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.