Occurred Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:18pm 5488 S.P.I.D. Possession Of Marijuana 1203290139

A 17-year-old was arrested Thursday night at the La Palmera Mall for possession of marijuana after an officer saw the man attempt to steal from cars in the parking lot.

Patrol Officer Daniel Sotello watched the parking lot from an unmarked police vehicle and saw 17-year-old Daniel Martinez (1/16/1995) walk through five rows of vehicles in the parking lot and pull on the door handles of multiple vehicles. Martinez talked on a cell phone as he checked the doors of vehicles.

A blue Chevy Silverado truck responded to turn away as Officer Sotello approached Martinez. The Silverado left the area before police could investigate the truck. Martinez was apprehended by Sotello and arrested for possession of marijuana after the contraband was discovered in the possession of Martinez. The Possession of marijuana charge is a Class B Misdemeanor because of the quantity of the contraband and is punishable by up to 6 months in jail and up to a $2,000 fine.

The Corpus Christi Police Auto theft Task Force continue to investigate and gather information about this event and request help from the public to locate a blue two toned Chevy Silverado that may have been involved in this case. Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or log on to www.888TIPS.com. The information provided could earn the caller a cash reward.

To learn about reported criminal activity in Corpus Christi, the public may search Crimereports.com.