Two women arrested on drug charges
Calipatria State Prison officials said two women were arrested after allegedly smuggling drugs into the prison.
Visitor Eliana Elizabeth Mendiola, 21-year old from Desert Hot Springs, Calif., came to the prison to visit an inmate Sunday, and the Gate House Officer detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from within her vehicle as she was being processed into the institution.
Mendiola consented to a search of herself and the vehicle she drove onto the prison grounds. Nothing was found on Mendiola, but staff found a hand-rolled marijuana cigarette with a weight of 4.4 grams in her vehicle. Mendiola was booked into the Imperial County Jail and is facing felony charges.
The second incident also occurred on Sunday, after officials said a 36-year old Los Angeles woman was arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle meth into the prison.
Visiting Staff on Facility “D” was alerted to Erica Nacole Bass who was exiting the Visitors Restroom and they said Bass appeared nervous by not making eye contact with the Visiting Officer. Officials said Bass refused to speak when spoken too. Bass is an approved visitor of an Inmate Demetric Bass convicted of kidnapping to commit Robbery. A subsequent consented search of Bass revealed three latex bindles, containing a combined weight of 6.1 grams of suspected meth, which has an estimated prison value of $6,100.
The evidence collected linked inmate Bass to the introduction of a controlled substance for distribution. Bass was booked into the Imperial County Jail and is facing felony charges. If convicted Bass is facing three to five years in prison.
