Santa Rosa police dog finds cocaine hidden in dashboard

A 36-year-old Santa Rosa man is being held in the Sonoma County Jail after a police dog helped find 2.2 pounds of cocaine hidden inside the dashboard of his car.

Antonio Moreno Guzman was booked into the jail early Wednesday on suspicion of transporting cocaine and being in possession of the drug for sale. His bail was set at $50,000.

Guzman was arrested Tuesday night after Santa Rosa detectives spotted his vehicle on Highway 101 in the city and recognized it as one for which they had previously obtained a search warrant in relation to an ongoing narcotics investigation, according to a police press release.

After patrol officer Luis Pena initiated a traffic stop near North Dutton Avenue and Highway 12, Guzman provided police a false name and was detained for driving without a license, the press release stated. Pena, a police canine handler, conducted a search of the vehicle with his police dog “Hoss,” who alerted Pena to the presence of narcotics.

A kilo worth of cocaine was discovered inside the dashboard.

Guzman also was held on an outstanding federal immigration warrant. After his arrest, detectives served a search warrant at his South Wright Road residence, where they reported finding a small amount of cocaine in a safe and a loaded Glock handgun hidden behind a wall enclosure.