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Three arrested when car yields drugs, gun
trio arrested in ceres
Sergio Padilla, Gabrielle Morales and Manik Kumar were all arrested in a single Ceres traffic stop in which drugs and a gun were found in the car.

Two Ceres residents and a Turlock driver were arrested during an early Thursday traffic stop for inoperable headlights and a search turned up drugs and a gun.

At 12:11 a.m., Sgt. Travis Hudson stopped a pickup after watching it move eastbound on Whitmore Avenue without the headlights on and then make a northbound turn onto Herndon Road. 

Sgt. Hudson followed and noticed a lot of movement inside the cab as the driver, Sergio Padilla, 21, of Turlock, slowly pulled over. Backup officers arrived as the occupants were questioned. Padilla was found to be in possession of a prescription pill bottle containing Xanax and was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance. 

Passenger Gabrielle Morales, 24, of Ceres, was found to also be in possession of a prescription medication bottle containing Xanax but no one in the vehicle had a prescription for it. She faces a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

A second passenger, Manik Kumar, 25, of Ceres, was found to be in possession of a concealed firearm in his waistband. The gun had no serial number or other markings. As an ex-felon on felony probation, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. He was charged with of possession of a firearm by a felon, probation violations and possession of ammunition.