Luling pair nabbed for illegal drugs

GONZALES — Two people were taken to Gonzales County Jail after police said they caught them with illegal drugs.

On Jan. 17, Sgt. J.D. Holt was patrolling Independence Park when he found a Ford pickup parked in the area, Capt. Allen Taylor reported. He approached the truck and identified the driver as Reece Alan Franks and the passenger as Jannine Isabel Cortez, both of Luling.

While talking to Franks, Holt noticed the smell of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and asked him to step out of the vehicle, Taylor said.

While searching Franks Holt found two plastic bags containing cocaine residue, as well as a container with marijuana residue. Holt searched an adjacent vehicle (owned by Cortez) and found a small amount of marijuana, Taylor said. 

Franks was also found to be in possession of some Dronabinol pills, an anti-nausea medication, for which he did not have a prescription.

Franks, 19, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance in penalty group 3, possession of a dangerous drug, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cortez, 17, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. Both were taken to Gonzales County Jail. 

On Jan. 23, Officer Dustin Kincaid was dispatched to the 900 block of Water St. in reference to a disturbance. Upon arrival Kincaid met with a woman who said she and her boyfriend had gotten into an argument, and that he had grabbed her by the throat. Kincaid observed marks on the victim’s throat that were consistent with her account of the incident, Taylor said. There were also marks on both sides of her face.

Officers later found the suspect and identified him as Carlos Alfaro, 53, of Gonzales, and arrested him and charged him with assault family violence. Alfaro was taken to Gonzales County Jail.