Two Youngstown men arrested on drug charges in Campbell

Two Youngstown men arrested on drug charges in Campbell

CAMPBELL

Two Youngstown men were arrested on drug charges early Friday after police found a small bag of suspected cocaine in the car during a traffic stop.

At about 2 a.m. Friday, police pulled over a car driven by 18-year-old Juan Jose Rojas Pena, of Ives Street, for having an air freshener and a necklace hanging from the rear view mirror and blocking the driver’s view.

When an officer approached the car, which had stopped on Keystone Street, he noticed Pena leaning toward the passenger side, and the front passenger – identified as 27-year-old Carlos Eduardo Nieves Melendez, of McGuffey Road – reaching forward toward the floor.

The officer then turned his flashlight on the two men, who immediately stopped what they were doing. Pena began patting his pockets as though he was searching for something, while Melendez began looking through the glove compartment.

A records check of Pena found that his driver’s license was suspended. Police then searched the car, finding a bag containing 0.4 grams of suspected cocaine in a partially filled cigarette pack.

Both Pena and Melendez were charged with possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. Pena was also cited for driving under suspension.