July 3, 2022 - Merced – Merced PD Gang Unit arrests two gang members with a firearm and methamphetamine for sale.

On July 2, 2022, at approximately 7:30 A.M. the Merced Police Departments Gang Violence Suppression Unit served a search warrant at the Merced Inn & Suites Motel located in the 2000 block of East Childs Ave. Officer Arnulfo Centeno was following up on information that known gang members Vanessa Hurtado (40) and Joel Valencia (32) were selling narcotics from the motel.

During a search of several rooms, officers located a loaded 9mm handgun, 200 grams of methamphetamine, scales, and packaging material. Hurtado was found to be on CDC parole, and she was arrested and booked into MCSO jail for a parole violation, methamphetamine sales, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, and gang enhancements. Valencia was booked into MCSO jail for methamphetamine sales, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, and gang enhancements.

Case Number: 22-38865

Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Officer Arnulfo Centeno at 209-388-7742 or by email at CentenoA@CityofMerced.org.  

Other ways to contact us or report crime include:

For any emergency call or text 911

For non-emergency call 209-385-6912

Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725

Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.

Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.

Source: Merced Police Department