In Adelanto, a routine traffic stop on the night of May 1 took a dark turn as Deputy Mora of the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station arrested two suspects on a slew of drug and weapons charges. The incident began near the junction of Bellflower Street and Chamberlain Way where Joshua Owens, a 36-year-old Adelanto resident, was pulled over for vehicle code violations and found with a no-bail warrant for narcotics transportation, according to a release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department. Amid the search, Deputy Mora discovered a loaded handgun, arresting Owens without further incident.
Known as a documented gang member, Owens was later tied to residences where searches, sanctioned through warrants, uncovered an alarming volume of suspected ecstasy pills laced with Fentanyl. Mora, having penned these warrants, directed the investigation which found Lashantel Bates, Owens' girlfriend, and their three children in one of the residences amid a stash of narcotics. Reportedly, Bates who is 35 and also from Adelanto, faced arrest for child abuse, in addition to possession of narcotics for sales purposes, she was later released on bail. The children were placed in the care of a relative.
As the inquiry deepens, Owens faces a litany of charges including child abuse with the possibility of great bodily harm, drug possession for sales, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, the Sheriff-Coroner Department reported. Currently held without bail at the High Desert Detention Center, his track record with the law has added gravity to the allegations he is charged with.
While the community reels from the implications of such egregious offenses taking place in the quiet of suburban streets, authorities urge those who might have relevant information to step forward, ensuring confidentiality and pointing to We-Tip as an avenue to anonymously contribute. Owens, meanwhile, remains behind bars, serving as a cautionary tale for those entangled in the nefarious webs of gang affiliation and illegal pursuits.
