El Centro K9 helps officers find heroin inside vehicle

An El Centro Police Department patrol canine helped officers discover heroin inside a vehicle during a traffic stop Tuesday afternoon.

According to El Centro police, an officer stopped a red Ford Explorer in the area of Imperial and Scott Avenue. Max, an El Centro patrol canine, led officers to discover over one pound of powdered heroin inside the vehicle.

Police said the driver, later identified as 53-year-old Jesus Pantoja, of San Diego, was arrested.

Pantoja was booked into Imperial County Jail for transportation of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for sales.

This is the second incident patrol canine, Max, has assisted ECPD this week.