Heroin deal gets cut short

A Yuba City police officer interrupted a heroin sale Thursday in the parking lot of the Sutter County Library, leading to the seller attacking the suspected buyer with a pair of pruning shears, a drug enforcement official said.

Jesus Perez Diaz Jr., 38, a member of the Norteños gang, had been observed over the past month selling heroin at and near his home in the 600 block of Cooper Avenue in Yuba City, said Mike Hudson, commander of the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic Enforcement Team, or NET-5.

At about noon Thursday, NET-5 watched as Diaz and another gang member, Miguel Teran Adrade, 31, were making a sale in the library parking lot. When a uniformed Yuba City officer appeared on the scene, the three men left. Diaz returned to his nearby home, Hudson said.

When the would-be buyer showed up at Diaz's home, NET-5 was again watching when Diaz confronted the man, accusing him of working with police. Diaz twice punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground, then stood over him with the pruning shears and made threats, said Hudson.

NET-5 officers moved in with guns drawn and ordered Diaz to drop the pruning shears. He immediately did so and was arrested.

Officers obtained a search warrant for Diaz's house and found three quarter-gram packages of heroin and numerous hypodermic syringes, including one loaded and ready for injection.

Also found were a quarter-pound of marijuana, more than $700 in suspected drug sale proceeds, and a glass methamphetamine pipe.

"Diaz's 86-year-old mother, who is confined to a bed, was also found living at the residence," said Hudson. Sutter County Adult Protective Services placed the woman in the care of another relative, he said.

Diaz, who was out on bail in a felony case, was arrested on suspicion of selling heroin, battery, participation in a street gang and other offenses. Adrade was found in the area and arrested for the attempted heroin sale, conspiracy and street gang activity.

Both men were being held Thursday night in Sutter County Jail.

"This is yet another example of the well-established connection between drug trafficking and gang members," said Hudson. "Diaz was selling heroin daily to make money, feed his own heroin habit and to promote his gang lifestyle."