Man's tortilla dough mistaken for cocaine. 4 days in jail, still trying to get dog, truck back

Man jailed for tortilla dough
Deputies charged him with cocaine possession


But instead of reaching the home of his sister, whom he hadn't seen in nearly a decade, the 45-year-old carpet cleaner found himself in the Buncombe County jail under a $300,000 bond on charges of driving while intoxicated, failing to heed police lights and sirens and possession of 91 pounds of cocaine.

He was released four days later after sheriff's deputies realized Hernandez, who said he doesn't drink at all, wasn't intoxicated and that what was in the back of his truck was exactly what he had said — $400 worth of cheese, shrimp and tortilla and tamale dough meant as a gift to his sister.

Now struggling to reclaim his truck and dog that were taken away, Hernandez said he wants only to see his family and possibly get some compensation for his time and expenses.
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“I asked in court, ‘Who's going to pay me for what I lost?' They said, ‘I don't know. It's not my problem,'” Hernandez said.


http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110507/NEWS/305070023/Man-jailed-tortilla-dough

:crazy:

:grr:

and he doesn't need a lawyer to do it.

However, for the wrongful arrest, he needs a lawyer.

I don't see how anyone can mistake nixtmal dough for cocaine or anything else. It has a distinctive smell. Even the flour smells strongly of corn.

I hope he doesn't let the fascists intimidate him into not pursuing this with legal counsel.

for a one-pound bag of white powder seen on the scanner. It was arepa flour, and at the time we thought it was funny. But I guess it could have gone a lot worse.

end up in jail or fined or anything.

The lights were flashing in the grille of the police car and I honestly didn't see them (I am old and short), and he didn't use his siren. I don't know how long he followed me, right on my tail, until I pulled over to let this idiot pass who seemed to be trying to climb into my trunk, and he pulled over behind me. That's when I noticed a police car can have lights inside the grille.

Fixit ticket for cracked windshield.

No jail time and they didn't take my cats or anything.

But I'm an old white lady, not a Hispanic guy.

I just hope they don't charge this guy for boarding the dog and storing the truck. And yes he should be reimbursed for the foodstuffs lost.

In fact, lets call it a win, and quit.

. . . that the cop knew damn well it wasn't cocaine?

We need to find a way to donate to the advocacy organization that is trying to help him. I wish that newspapers/journalists would post an account number or something when they post these stories. We need to be able to DO something.

Or am I the only one who sees "$400 worth of cheese, shrimp and tortilla and tamale dough" as an invitation to work your ass off turning that into a feast for the extended family?

My God, how sad :(. That could have been an outrageous feast!