Gresham traffic stop leads to cocaine bust: police

Officers were responding to a tip about a drug deal when they stopped Jose Garrido-Dominguez in the 7600 block of South Damen Avenue for not wearing a seatbelt and having an expired vehicle registration, police said.

A man is facing a felony drug charge after officers found more than 10 kg of cocaine during a traffic stop Oct. 22, 2019, in Gresham.

A man is facing a felony drug charge after police found more than 10 kg of cocaine hidden in a vehicle during a traffic stop Tuesday in Gresham on the South Side.

A Chicago police gang enforcement team pulled Jose Garrido-Dominguez over at 6:36 p.m. in the 7600 block of South Damen Avenue, according to Chicago police.

The officers were responding to a tip about a drug deal in the area when they stopped him for not wearing a seatbelt and having an expired vehicle registration, police said. During the stop, they learned that Garrido-Dominguez, 46, had no valid driver’s license.

A police dog indicated there could be narcotics in the car and officers noticed the framework of the floorboard in the back seat was “irregular,” police said. Officers found more than 10 kg of cocaine in plastic-wrapped packages under the floorboard.

Garrido-Dominguez, who lives in West Englewood, was arrested and charged with a felony count of possession of more than 900 grams of cocaine, police said. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of driving without a license and issued a citation for driving without a seatbelt.

Judge Charles Beach set his bail at $50,000 during a hearing Wednesday afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, according to Cook County court records. His next court date was set for Oct. 30.

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