A Carson City man was arrested early New Year's morning and faces a felony charge of drug possession with intent to sell after officers recovered more than an ounce of marijuana and a scale to weigh it with the word "work" taped to it.
Paul John Bekakis, 29, was arrested at 3:25 a.m. near Sixth and Carson streets and was booked into Carson City jail on the drug charge. According to the arrest report, officers did a traffic stop suspecting the driver was under the influence. Officers could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the car.
The driver of the vehicle refused consent to a search. Instead officers did an exterior search with the aid of K9 Tarzan. The dog alerted officers to a positive smell outside the vehicle's right passenger door and the driver's door.
With the probability, the officer then searched the interior of the car, incident to alert, and found the following: A marijuana shake in the center console, a used marijuana cigarette in the rear ash tray, a pipe on the rear right floorboard, a large back duffle bag on the right rear seat. In the black duffle bag, which was next to the left rear passenger door, deputies found a large clear baggie with marijuana, a digital scale, which was covered in marijuana. There was also a folded piece of paper with the man's name and address typed on it. The scale had a piece of tape with the word "work" written on it, the arrest report states.
The deputy read Bekakis, the passenger in the vehicle, his Miranda rights and he advised he understood them and would speak with the officer. He said the marijuana was his, and he was allowed to have a half pound of it in California but that this bag was only 2.5 ounces. He told the officer that even though he had a scale and it said "work" on it, he was not selling marijuana. Instead, he told the officer that he "handed it down" to people, the arrest report states.
Because of the quantity and because of the scale, the officer arrested the man for suspicion of marijuana sales at more than an ounce, a felony. Bail: $5,000.
In other matters, Carson City patrol officers report making three DUI arrests during the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day morning period. In misdemeanor-related arrests:
— A 47-year-old Carson City man was arrested Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1:27 a.m. in the 700 block of Hot Springs Road. He faces a misdemeanor charge of battery. According to the arrest report, officers responded to the area regarding a report of a battery and unwanted subjects.
On arrival, deputies met with a woman who was bleeding slightly from the forehead and three others, including the suspect. The woman who was bleeding said all four were neighbors in the complex and that she walked over to the suspect's place to wish him a happy new year. The woman said the suspect became irate and attacked her with a metal bar, striking her in the head. The woman was bleeding, but it appeared minor, and she declined medical attention, the arrest report states.
The woman said the suspect isn't normally violent and she didn't know why he was acting in such a manner. She did tell the officer that when the man attacked her, she scratched his face trying to get him away from her, the arrest report states.
The suspect appeared highly intoxicated, had slurred speech, little volume control and had mood swings while speaking with the officer. The man said the woman had come over to his apartment and threatened him so he defended himself, the arrest report states. He did have a scratch across his left cheek. He refused to fill out a statement.
The two other people advised they lived close by and heard a commotion. They said when they came outside to check, they saw the woman being attacked so they rushed over to help get the man off of her, the arrest report states. They added that the man isn't normally violent but he is often very loud and aggressive when he drinks alcohol, the report states. On the ground, in front of the suspect's apartment, was a broken broom handle that had been wrapped in silver-colored tape. Deputies took photographs of the injuries and the broom handle.
The victim told the officer that she wanted to press charges for battery and filled out a statement reflecting as such. The officer then arrested the man and he was taken to jail. Bail: $1,137.
— A 29-year-old Carson City man was arrested Wednesday, Jan. 1, at 2:48 a.m. in the area of Telegraph and Plaza streets. He faces two misdemeanor charges of being in violation of a suspended sentence.
According to the arrest report, officers working DUI saturation patrol saw the man walking out of a bar in the 100 block of East Telegraph Street. The officer recognized the man from prior contacts and asked dispatch to check with Alternative Sentencing regarding conditions and restrictions. Dispatch advised the man had "no alcohol" and "search and seizure" clauses.
The man submitted to a preliminary breath test with a result of a .155. Alternative Sentencing advised the officer to arrested the man for two violations of a suspended sentence. Bail: $2,000.
— A 44-year-old Carson City man was arrested Tuesday, Dec. 31, 6:43 p.m. in the 3100 block of Bunch Way on a misdemeanor warrant, failure to appear from Justice Court.
According to the arrest report, officers responded to the area after a call from a woman reporting that someone was tapping at her window. Deputies arrived and began to check the area, including the residence next door.
The officer noticed a man wearing gym shorts, a sweatshirt and was carrying a chainsaw. The officer asked the man what he was doing at the residence. The man said that he had permission from the owner of the home to cut down a fallen tree for firewood. He provided the officer identifiable information. He was run through a check for warrants and it was shown he had the failure to appear warrant issued Dec. 26 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $215.
— A 70-year-old Minden man was arrested Dec. 31, 12:29 p.m. in the 5600 block of South Carson Street on misdemeanor warrant, failure to appear, issued out of Carson City Justice Court on Dec. 30, 2013. According to the arrest report, the man was in the custody of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Carson City officers took custody of the man for the warrant. Bail: $15,000.
— A 35-year-old Dayton man was booked into Carson City Jail on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 4 a.m. on two misdemeanor charges of failure to appear, issued Aug. 21, 2013 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $1,698.
Those arrested and facing charge are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.