La Pine traffic stop turns up meth, gun; Calif. man jailed

A traffic stop Tuesday afternoon on Highway 97 in La Pine led to the deployment of a drug-sniffing dog, the seizure of nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and a handgun and the arrest of the driver from Northern California, authorities said.

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies stopped a gray Honda Odyssey mini-van around 2:20 p.m. near milepost 170 for “observed traffic violations,” said Sgt. Nathan Garibay.

Drug-detection K-9 Molly was deployed and alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle, Garibay said. The methamphetamine and firearm were found inside, he said.

Juan Macias, 31, of Lodi, California, was arrested and taken to the Deschutes County Jail, where he remained held Wednesday on $50,000 bail. He faces charges of methamphetamine possession, manufacture and delivery, along with felon in possession of a firearm.