OC Sheriff: Gang Member Puts On Employee Shirt, Tries To Walk Past Sergeant Searching For Him

GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA) — Authorities say a gang member on parole tried to evade deputies by putting on the company shirt of a Garden Grove business to try and disguise himself as he attempted to walk through a search perimeter.

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, deputies with a homeless outreach team pulled over a driver for a vehicle code violation Wednesday along the border of Santa Ana and Garden Grove. But when the car stopped, the passenger in the front seat jumped out and ran toward several businesses, leaving drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine in his wake.

The driver and a passenger in the backseat stayed in the car, which was searched. Authorities say the search turned up more meth and an empty holster, leading deputies to believe the passenger who had run away might be carrying a gun.

Sheriff's officials say that front passenger ran into a business and took a company shirt to disguise himself as an employee. Clad in the company shirt, authorities say the suspect tried to walk out of the business and walk past a sergeant on the perimeter of the search area as if everything was normal.

"That failed as the sergeant was onto him," a statement from the sheriff's department said.

The missing gun was later found in a bush by a K9 officer. The driver, who was on parole, and front passenger – an ex-felon -- were determined to be documented gang members from Gardena, sheriff's officials said.

Authorities did not release the names of any of the suspects. The rear passenger was cited for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. But the driver and front seat passenger were both arrested and booked on a variety of drug and weapons charges. The driver also faces a charge of violating his parole, driving without a license, and obstruction.