Candidate for this week’s dumbest criminal in San Luis Obispo

November 8, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Officers arrested an armed, wanted man transporting a large amount of fentanyl in a vehicle without a front license plate in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday. Both the driver and his female passenger remain in custody.

On the morning of Nov. 6, an officer on patrol spotted a vehicle without a front license plate and attempted a traffic stop as it was entering the Marsh Street parking garage. However, the driver did not stop until he reached the garage’s second floor.

The officer soon discovered the driver, 38-year-old Felipe De Jesus Ortiza of Santa Maria, had a felony warrant for his arrest out of Santa Barbara County.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found one unloaded revolver, one loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, one disassembled lower portion of a handgun, ammunition, 121 grams of methamphetamine, ¼ pound fentanyl, approximately $2100 in cash, a scale and a lock box safe.

Officers booked Ortiza into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on felony charges including, Possessing drugs while armed, transporting narcotics, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a false compartment for drugs and violation of probation. Ortiza remains in jail with his bail set at $105,000.

Ortiza’s 30-year-old passenger initially provided a false name, but later admitted her name is Maritza Hernandez. Officers found she had a warrant for her arrest out of San Luis Obispo County. Hernandez was also in possession of narcotics.

Officers booked Hernandez in the SLO County Jail on charges she violated her probation, identity theft, possession of a controlled substance. She is being held without bail.