Glendale

Three Approached by Officers For Not Wearing Masks Are Found With Drugs, Fake Passports, Police Say

Two of them had warrants out for their arrests.

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Ilkay Dede/EyeEm via Getty Images

Three people in Glendale, initially approached by police officers for not wearing masks, were arrested after they discovered Fentanyl and Xanax, a semi-automatic handgun, passports and credit cards in various names, and warrants for the arrests of two of them, police said Thursday.

Patrol officers on Monday saw two men and a woman not wearing masks and not abiding by social distancing protocols near their parked car in the 400 block of North Pioneer Drive, about a block from the Ventura (134) Freeway, according to Sgt. Christian Hauptmann of the Glendale Police Department.

They approached Ariel Steuer, 25, of Studio City, to ask why they weren't wearing masks, and the car's driver, 28-year-old Bryan Wilkens, of Tarzana, told officers they were checking into a hotel and didn't know that masks are required, Hauptmann said.

"While on scene, officers discovered that Steuer and Wilkens had multiple warrants out for their arrests,'' Hauptmann said.

Officers also found that Wilkins was allegedly in possession of three credit cards under various names, according to Hauptmann.

The third person, 35-year-old Aurelio Barahona, of Elkridge, Maryland, allegedly had prescription pill bottles that appeared to contain Xanax without a prescription, Hauptmann said.

Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found ``what was suspected to be Fentanyl, several driver's licenses in other people's names, passports and access cards in various names, a digital scale, a large amount of cash, a semi-automatic handgun and several other items that were evidence of identity theft and narcotics sales,'' Hauptmann said.

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Barahona was arrested on suspicion of identity theft and possession of Xanax for sale, Wilkens for suspicion of identity theft, possession of narcotics for sale and a firearm, as well as his arrest warrants.

Steuer was arrested for her warrant, according to Hauptmann.

They were all booked at the Glendale City Jail, and have been released, according to sheriff's department records.

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