by | Published
On Monday, January 8, 2024, at approximately 10:37 p.m., a routine traffic stop conducted by a deputy in the 700 block of South Washington Street unveiled a series of concerning discoveries.
The deputy pulled over a vehicle for traffic violations and upon approaching the driver, identified as Rene Gutierrez-Olivas of Austin, discovered that he did not possess a valid driver’s license. Additionally, an unmistakable odor of marijuana emanated from the vehicle.
The driver and two male passengers, admitting to the presence of THC, willingly allowed the deputy to search the vehicle. During the search, drug paraphernalia and a THC vape cartridge were discovered in the passenger cabin. More unsettling findings emerged when a Texas driver's license, unrelated to any of the occupants, was found in the trunk within a bag that belonged to one of the backseat passengers. Furthermore, a check for $1,500, attributed to an individual not matching any of the vehicle's occupants, was also discovered.
Contact was made with the owner of the mysterious driver's license, who confirmed he did not know any of the occupants and had been awaiting the license in the mail for over a month.
Subsequently, the back-seat passenger, identified as 25-year-old Mark Gavin Gutierrez of San Antonio, was arrested and charged with Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Info # Items < 5. During a search at the jail, staff found half of a pressed tablet in Gutierrez's shoes, testing positive for fentanyl. Additional tablets were discovered scattered across the sally port and jail floor. Gutierrez now faces an additional charge of Prohibited Substance in a Correctional Facility, with his bond set at $40,000.
All individuals arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
