Oakwood man arrested on drug charges

ANDERSON COUNTY – A routine traffic stop on U.S. 79 South ended with the arrest of an Oakwood man on drug charges on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

At 10 p.m. Jan. 25, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Casey McKinney pulled over Ernesto A. Torres, 59, of Oakwood, for a driving violation, according to an ACSO report. After verifying Torres was not wanted and that he had a current driver license and proper insurance, McKinney issued Torres a written warning for the driving violation.

McKinney then asked Torres for consent to search his vehicle. During the search, an orange medicine bottle was found with four plastic baggies inside, according to the report. The baggies contained a crystal-like substance which field tested positive for methamphetamine, a total of 4.6 grams, the report said.

Torres was then placed under arrest, transported to the Anderson County Jail and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance More Than 4 Grams and Less Than 200 Grams, a second-degree felony. Torres was arraigned Thursday, Jan. 26 by Justice of Peace Precinct Judge James Todd and bond was set at $10,000. He is currently still in jail.

According to Section 12.33 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 20 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”