The scheduled arraignment was continued Wednesday for an alleged Ojai drug dealer charged with multiple felony drug charges after he was found unresponsive in his car in Carpinteria last month.
The defendant, Christopher Elizalde, 26, was arrested on April 22 by sheriff’s deputies who responded around 3:15 p.m. to the 5900 block of Birch Street in Carpinteria to a report of a man who was unresponsive in his car.
When they arrived, they found a man, later identified as Mr. Elizalde, unresponsive with drug paraphernalia in his lap. Also in the vehicle, deputies found a large quantity of dangerous drugs including suspected fentanyl, M30 pills, cocaine and ketamine.
Sheriff’s deputies worked with detectives from the Special Investigations Bureau to author search and arrest warrants for Mr. Elizalde and his Ojai residence. Later that evening, at approximately 8:30 p.m., detectives served a search warrant at his home in the 1200 block of Gregory Street in Ojai where they reported recovering additional fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone M30 pills and cocaine.
As a result of their investigation, approximately 2.9 ounces of ketamine, 1.82 pounds of fentanyl, 1.16 pounds of cocaine, 4.6 ounces of heroin, 4.7 ounces of methamphetamine, 616 oxycodone M30 pills, and 50 benzodiazepine pills were taken off the streets, according to the sheriff’s office.
Mr. Elizalde pleaded not guilty to multiple felony drug charges when he was first arraigned on April 27 following his arrest.
A preliminary hearing in his case was held on May 11, at which time he was held to answer on the charged felony offenses and ordered to stand trial.
A second arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday on the nine-count felony Information (formerly the complaint) filed against him.
However, “the (deputy) public defender declared a conflict and Neil Levinson from the Santa Barbara Conflict Attorney group was appointed to represent Mr. Elizalde,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Anthony S. Davis told the News-Press. “The arraignment was continued for one week to next Wednesday, 5/31.”
Mr. Elizalde remains in custody at County Jail on $260,000 bail.
The nine-count Information filed against Mr. Elizalde charges him with possession for sale of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, heroin and methamphetamine, all felonies.
In addition, it charges him with possession for sale of M30 fentanyl pills, Xanax and Clonazepam, and possession for sale and the sale of ketamine, again, all felonies.
A misdemeanor count charges him with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ketamine is an anesthetic used on people and animals. It is generally abused as an hallucinogenic, and comes in either liquid or powder form.
M30 fentanyl pills are counterfeit oxycodone, which sells under the brand name OxyContin. Real oxycodone are typically blue pills that come stamped with the “M” on one side and the milligrams on the other (10, 20, 30, etc.).
Counterfeit oxycodone looks the same but always with “30” imprinted on the back. They are created using some other base, usually acetaminophen (Tylenol), and pressed with fentanyl. Most are manufactured in large labs in Mexico by the cartels, using ingredients from China, and then sent in bulk to the United States.
Xanax is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines that have a depressant effect (downers) on the brain and nervous system. Benzos include prescription drugs such as Valium, Klonopin, Xanax and Ativan.
In this case, Mr. Elizalde is charged with possession for sale of alprazolam, which sells under the brand name Xanax. It is an anti-anxiety drug.
Clonazepam, which sells under the brand name Klonopin, is an anti-seizure medication.email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com
