Mark Padilla, 25, of Turlock, was arrested early Monday, Dec. 24 after a Ceres Police officer located him doing drugs while sitting in a parked car behind businesses on Hatch Road.

At 2:30 a.m. Officer Jon Vera was patrolling the Food-4-Less shopping center when he saw a suspicious vehicle parked behind commercial buildings. As Officer Vera drove toward the car, Padilla quickly pulled away and stopped in a fire lane and got out of the car to walk toward the officer.

Officer Vera saw evidence that Padilla, who was on parole, had been huffing paint. He was detained and his vehicle searched. Police found heroin and a methamphetamine pipe. Padilla was arrested and booked for possession of drugs and parole violation.