Fontana narcotics detectives arrested three menΒ and seized 50 pounds of meth Friday morning during a sting operationΒ in San Jacinto and Hemet, a Fontana policeΒ sergeant said.
"It's an ongoing investigation, distribution of methamphetamine," Fontana Narcotics Unit Sgt. Mike Dorsey said in a phone interview Jan. 24.
"We have several people identified and arrested two in San Jacinto, and one in the Hemet area, as well as 50 pounds of meth."
Dorsey said one suspect was from San Jacinto, one was from Hemet, and the third was from Los Angeles County.
The estimated street value of 50 pounds ofΒ methamphetamine is $650,000, Dorsey said.
Mark Henley, 46,Β who runs his businessΒ Crime Scene Cleaners on South State Street, told PatchΒ he came to work around 9 a.m. Friday andΒ saw about a dozen officers dressed in civilian clothes with black police vests and Fontana PD badges.
The out-of-town officers were all usingΒ unmarked vehiclesΒ includingΒ a white Ford F150, aΒ Toyota Sienna,Β andΒ a Mustang, each equipped with red and blue lights, Henley said.
Henley approached one of the officers about 9:15 a.m.Β and asked what was going on, and the officerΒ responded it was anΒ "undercover sting going on," Henley said.
"I was atΒ the impound yard on Esplanade and State, across fromΒ 1398 State," Henley said. "There were sevenΒ different undercover units. The officers had black vests with 'Police' on the back. . . . badges on their waist, the ones I saw said Fontana."
It looked like the officers had stopped a red Volvo sedan, and they may have stopped another car, further down by the railroad tracks, Henley said.
"It was like a traffic stop and they took one male, in his 20s,Β into custody and put him in back of a gold Honda with red and blue lights," Henley said.
The plain clothes officers and all their vehicles were gone byΒ 10:05 a.m. and it looked like police had impounded the Volvo and the otherΒ stopped vehicle because officers drove them away with the other law enforcement, Henley said.
"It's kind of strange to have Fontana PD here in San Jacinto," said Henley, who's been working in the Hemet-San JacintoΒ area since 1992.Β "We have the Sheriff's Department and Fontana has their own city police department."
San Jacinto is in Riverside County and Fontana is about 40 miles away in San Bernardino County.
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