Expired Registration Leads to Cocaine and Warrant

On Monday, August 18, 2025, at 2:07 am, Turlock Police Officer Ayala made a traffic stop at Fulkerth Rd and southbound State Route 99.

The vehicle’s registration had expired several months ago.

Officer Ayala made contact with and identified the vehicle’s driver as Raul Contreras, 38, of Ceres. When Officer Ayala had his dispatcher run Contreras, he discovered he had a $55,555 misdemeanor bench warrant out of the Modesto Police Department for driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or greater and driving without a valid license. The case spanned all the way back to 2012. Contreras was arrested.

During a subsequent inventory search of Contreras’ vehicle prior to it being towed, Officer Ayala located suspected cocaine.

Contreras was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for possession of a controlled substance and his warrant.