A Buellton man is facing drug and weapons charges after being arrested during a traffic stop this week in Carpinteria, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
At about noon Tuesday, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a black Chevrolet Equinox traveling northbound on Highway 101 at Casitas Pass Road, spokeswoman Raquel Zick said.
Deputies found nearly a pound of methamphetamine concealed in the vehicle dashboard, with a replica firearm and prescription medication that “did not belong to the suspect,” Zick said on Wednesday.
The 53-year-old driver, John Scott Bavaro, was arrested.
“A few hours later, narcotics detectives wrote and served a search warrant at the suspect’s residence in the 400 block of Avenue of The Flags in Buellton,” Zick said. “At the residence, detectives located evidence of drug sales, an additional seven grams of methamphetamine, and four grams of psilocybin mushrooms.”
Bavaro was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sales, carrying a concealed dirk or dagger, transportation of a controlled substance for sales, commission of a felony after release on bail, transportation of methamphetamine for sales, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
He remained in custody Wednesday afternoon, with bail set at $50,000.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.