A 37-year-old Turlock man was cited and released for drug possession after an officer pulled over his Dodge Ram pickup for a vehicle code violation on Mitchell Road north of River Road.

Officer Krandall Vandagriff made the Friday morning traffic stop on Jesus Barboza at 8:23 a.m. Ernesto Alarcon, 27, of Turlock, was a passenger and found to be on probation. A probation search of Alarcon was conducted. Prior to the searching Barboza told the officer there was a "little bit of crystal" inside, prompting Vandagriff to call out Officer Coey Henson and canine Dex to conduct a drug sniff. K9 Dex gave indication of an odor of drugs so officers then searched and located a green plastic wrapper containing a white crystallized substance which appeared to be methamphetamine underneath the ash tray.

Barboza said the drug was not his, but that he was holding it for a friend other than Alarcon.

Barboza was cited misdemeanor of possession of a controlled substance.