September 4, 2022 – MERCED – Officers seized over a thousand fentanyl tablets, several pounds of methamphetamine, and a firearm during a stolen vehicle investigation.
On Wednesday, August 31st, Officer Matthew Calcagno located an unoccupied stolen motor vehicle that had a tracking device installed. The stolen vehicle was equipped with a LoJack tracking device which led Officer Calcagno to the U-Haul parking lot in the 1200 block of Martin Luther King Jr Way. During the recovery of the vehicle, he located four (4) pounds of methamphetamine, over a thousand fentanyl tablets, and a firearm. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Juan Barajas (32) out of Atwater.
On Friday, September 2nd, Officer Calcagno, and officers from the Gang Violence Suppression Unit conducted a probation search at Barajas’ residence in Atwater. Barajas was arrested and an additional pound of methamphetamine and 6 pounds of marijuana was located inside his residence.
Barajas was arrested for possession of methamphetamine & fentanyl tablets with the intent to distribute, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He was booked into custody at the Merced County Jail.
Case Number: 22-51389
Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Officer Matthew Calcagno at 209-385-6905 or by email at calcagnom@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
