LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A Tuesday afternoon enforcement stop by a Lake County Sheriff’s patrol deputy has resulted in the arrest of a Santa Rosa man and the seizure of 61 pounds of processed marijuana.

Andres Contreras Carrillo, 35, was arrested for the possession of marijuana for sale and for the transportation of marijuana, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, a deputy was traveling southbound on Highway 29 in the Lower Lake area when he noticed a black Mercedes Benz traveling in front of him, Brooks said.

As the Mercedes approached Clayton Creek Road, the driver suddenly turned on his left turn signal and made a quick turn onto Clayton Creek Road, Brooks said. As the vehicle turned, it crossed over both of the double yellow lines.

Brooks said the deputy noticed a vehicle traveling northbound on Highway 29 in the same area and believed the driver of the Mercedes made an unsafe turn by not allowing enough distance between him and the oncoming vehicle.

The deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the Mercedes on Clayton Creek Road, near the entrance of Modern RV and contacted the driver, identified as Carrillo, Brooks said.

As the deputy was explaining the reason for the stop, he could smell the strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Brooks said the deputy advised Carrillo that he could smell the marijuana and asked how much he had in the vehicle.

Carrillo said he had about 40 pounds of marijuana in the back seat area of the vehicle, Brooks said. Carrillo told the deputy he had a medical marijuana recommendation, although he did not have the document with him.

Brooks said the deputy searched the vehicle and located on the back seat a bed sheet covering two large garbage bags. Inside the garbage bags were multiple smaller bags containing processed marijuana. Each smaller bag weighed about one pound. The deputy opened the trunk and located two more large garbage bags filled with processed marijuana.

Carrillo told the deputy that he was traveling to a storage shed to store the marijuana when he was pulled over. Brooks said Carrillo also told the deputy that he smokes about 60 pounds of marijuana a year and said it may even be more than 60 pounds a year he uses.

Carrillo was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. All four garbage bags had a combined weight of approximately 61.5 pounds, Brooks said.

Carrillo is currently still in custody on a no bail immigration hold. His bail on the marijuana charges is currently set at $15,000, according to jail records.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.