Police: Car in ditch leads to discovery of 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana

Dan Holtz, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read
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Jul. 6—EAU CLAIRE — A car in a town of Washington ditch led to the discovery of nearly 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana, authorities say.

Cesar Cruz-Ramirez, 17, 2337 Ridgeview Drive, was charged Tuesday in Eau Claire County Court with felony counts of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and bail jumping, and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

A $1,500 signature bond was set for Cruz-Ramirez, which requires him to maintain absolute sobriety and be confined to his home from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. He also cannot have contact with anyone involved in illegal drug activities.

Cruz-Ramirez returns to court July 19.

According to the criminal complaint:

Eau Claire County Sheriff's deputies were sent Tuesday to a report of a vehicle in the ditch in the town of Washington.

Deputies spoke with Cruz-Ramirez, who was identified as the owner and driver of the vehicle.

While inspecting the damage to the exterior of the vehicle, deputies detected the odor of marijuana. The vehicle was then searched.

Deputies found numerous marijuana vape cartridges in the center console along with different denominations of money that are commonly used in narcotics transactions. Also found were a couple of small plastic bags containing marijuana.

Several marijuana joints in individual containers were in the center console. In a black backpack in the back seat, there were two large glass jars containing marijuana buds.

Inside the trunk, deputies found a large plastic bag containing numerous smaller plastic bags filled with marijuana. They also found numerous clean plastic bags in all areas of the vehicle.

All of the marijuana found in the vehicle weighed just under 1 1/2 pounds.

At the time of this incident, Cruz-Ramirez was free on a signature bond for a pending felony case in Eau Claire County. A condition of that bond prohibited him from committing any new crimes.

If convicted of the two new felony charges, Cruz-Ramirez could be sentenced to up to six years in prison.