Blatant drug abuse and an overabundance of drug addicts in public view have had a serious negative effect to our citizen’s quality of life in Redding. The Redding Police Neighborhood Police Unit was created to utilize a proactive approach to reducing street crimes that are the source of our community blight. The NPU utilizes their daily activities to locate and eradicate dealers to our local drug addicts who victimize our citizenry supporting their drug habits.
In June of 2017 the NPU began gathering information in regards to a local narcotics trafficking organization with gang ties to the Sacramento area that is responsible for a large quantity of the drugs sold on our streets. As each member of this crime organization was identified, search warrants were obtained and served on numerous residences and individuals. Each step resulted in more information that ultimately identified the apparent leader of this drug trafficking organization. NPU officers started by contacting hundreds of addicts who are the highly visible people impacting the quality of life in our community. Through those contacts, NPU officers initiated the following investigations:
NPU officers first began investigating Aurmone Keon Harris, 20 years old of Redding. NPU worked in conjunction with the Anderson Police Department and coordinated a traffic stop in the City of Anderson. Anderson Police officers contacted Harris and a passenger, Kevin Marcuslee Montgomery, 20 years of Vallejo. Montgomery was found to be in possession of a handgun which was reported stolen in Vallejo.
NPU next served a search warrant in the 200 block of Boulder Creek Drive. NPU contacted Aaron Monte Tremai Hunt, 25 years of Redding and Crystal Merie Ruesga, 36 years of Redding. Hunt and Ruesga were both identified as heroin dealers and were working independently of each other. Both were arrested for possession of heroin for sales and a total of 1.3 ounces of heroin was seized.
NPU served another search warrant in the 200 block of Boulder Creek Drive. During this investigation, NPU officers again contacted Aurmone Harris. Harris was found to be in possession of 6.4 grams of heroin and he was arrested for possession of heroin for sales. Harris indicated there were two firearms in his residence. NPU officers observed several subjects as they fled Aurmone Harris’s residence. NPU officers and SINTF agents contacted these individuals who were identified as Rene Gerard Harris, 31 years of Adelanto, Ca and Alyce Yvette McCoy, 45 years of Fairfield. Rene Harris and McCoy possessed the two handguns Rene Harris said were in the residence. Both guns were reported stolen from Vallejo.
NPU officers checked Rene Harris’s criminal history and found he was a convicted felon prohibiting him from possessing firearms. NPU officers also discovered arrest warrants had just been issued on Rene Harris and Mccoy for attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and battery with a firearm. These warrants originated from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. Rene Harris and McCoy were aware of their warrants and traveled to Redding to evade Nevada authorities. Unbeknownst to them, they hid from authorities at a location being closely watched by NPU.
Through investigative measures, NPU officers were able to link these drug dealers to Christopher White II, 40 years or Redding, as their main supplier of heroin. White is currently on probation after being convicted of sales of crack cocaine in 2015.
During the early morning hours of August 17th, 2017, officers from the Neighborhood Police Unit partnered with allied agencies and launched a multi-location search warrant service targeting Christopher White and other upper level heroin dealers operating in the Redding area. During this day’s events, officers arrested five different drug dealers at six separate locations.
• Chris White II, 40 years was found in possession of over seven pounds of heroin and nearly a pound of cocaine for the purpose of sales.
• Fredrick Dennis Jr., 26 years, was in possession of over an ounce of methamphetamine and 12.3 grams of heroin for the purpose of sales.
• Joshua Jones, 28 years, was found in possession of nearly 52 grams of heroin and 23 grams of methamphetamine for the purpose of sales.
• Cearington Wealtherspoon, 20 years was found in possession of a quantity of heroin for the purpose of sale.
• Crystal Ruesga, 36 years was found in possession of heroin for the purpose of sales.
Since June of 2017, NPU officers seized 3343.63 grams of heroin with an estimated street value of over $330,000. This quantity is enough heroin for a single user to be under the influence 24 hours a day for over 15 years straight. Officers also seized 372.21 grams of cocaine with a street value of approximately $30,000. This is enough cocaine for a single user to be under the influence for over a year.
This investigation would not have been possible without the help of Redding Police Investigations Division, the Shasta County Interagency Narcotics Task Force, Anderson Police Department, California Highway Patrol Air Operations, Shasta County Probation Department and Shasta County California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Agents.
