Two sleeping drivers in 2 running Nissans send 2 to jail

Pasco police roused two men in two nearly identical situations Saturday, and both are in the Franklin County Jail facing a variety of charges.

Alvaro F. Espinoza-Cortez, 34, faces charges of illegally possessing a pistol and possession of heroin and meth with intent to deliver after an officer went to check on reports of a man asleep in a running Nissan Sentra in the 300 block of West Margaret shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday.

The officer spotted a glass pipe associated with methamphetamine, which in turn led to the discovery that Espinoza-Cortes was in possession of a pistol.

His car was impounded. After a search warrant was issued, investigators discovered an undisclosed amount of materials that tested positive for heroin and meth, enough to add the intent to deliver charge to his case.

In the second case, Guillermo Jiminez Farias, 31, was arrested by an officer responding to a Sunday morning report of a man asleep at the wheel of a running Nissan Murano. The Murano was parked across the corner of 14th and Lincoln, partly blocking the lane. Jiminez Farias reportedly had an open beer in the central console.

He was roused and arrested on an outstanding warrant. A bag of “meth-like” crystalline material was observed inside the vehicle, along with glass pipes.

He was booked into the jail on an investigative hold for possessing meth and for the warrant. His car was impounded pending a search warrant.

This story was originally published July 23, 2017 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Two sleeping drivers in 2 running Nissans send 2 to jail."