By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – A man who was reported as running through the Big O Tires parking lot at 1217 W. Thatcher Blvd. while carrying a neon blue purse was later located by officers and arrested on a warrant and drug charges.
Anthony Andres Montano, 21, of Safford, was arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on Jan. 11 on charges of possession of a narcotic drug, possession of a dangerous drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, and a warrant regarding a separate possession of drug paraphernalia charge from 2018.
Officers were dispatched to the area where Montano was seen at about 12:56 p.m. and eventually located a man matching the suspect’s description running toward the alley behind the Circle K at 1123 W. Thatcher Blvd. The suspect was identified as Montano, who the officers knew had an active warrant for his arrest. Montano did not have a blue purse in his hands but appeared to have something hidden underneath his coat, according to a Safford Police report.
Montano was then located inside the restroom of the Circle K and was taken into custody for his warrant. During a body search, an officer located a baggie with .2 of a gram of meth and another baggie with .3 of a gram of heroin along with a utility knife blade wrapped up in aluminum foil hidden in a zipper headphone case.
Montano allegedly admitted to having “drugs” in the headphone case but denied possessing a purse and said he didn’t know what the officers were talking about. Despite a search of the area, the purse was not located.
Montano was then transported to the jail and booked on the above-listed charges.
