By Aryal Aglugub
MODESTO, CA – A deputy said here this week in Stanislaus Superior Court that his keen eye coupled with allegedly faulty license plate lights led to the apprehension, arrest and now preliminary hearing of Hermilo Simon, Jr., on felony drug charges.
Simon is being charged with two felony offenses for sale of methamphetamine, and transportation or 
selling of methamphetamine.
Only one deputy was called to the stand and he testified he saw a woman next to a car at a gas station, and when the woman saw the officers she quickly walked away, which raised suspicion.
The deputy said the lights for the license plates on the suspect vehicle were not working, giving them probable cause to pull the vehicle over.
The deputy said Simon was the driver, and there was a passenger in the vehicle, who was on parole, and from there the deputy and his partner searched the car because of the passenger’s parole status.
The deputy said he found “a backpack with two separate baggies of white crystal-like substance, that appeared to be methamphetamine.” The witness then stated the weight of those baggies being 6.67 grams, and 3.45 grams.
In addition to the baggies found, the deputy said he found a scale, pressure sealed plastic baggies, money, and notebook that appeared to be a payout sheet, which he suspected was used to track the earnings, and money owed for the drug sales.
The deputy said the suspect admitted he was a methamphetamine user, but denied he was selling.
Judge Linda McFadden ruled the accused will be held to answer the charges against him.
He will return to court on June 7 for official arraignment and trial setting.
