Tuesday, November 13th, 2007

Charge filed in drug pickup

By Margie Wuebker
A 19-year-old Arizona woman faces one felony count of drug trafficking after she allegedly came to Celina on Friday afternoon to pick up a package containing approximately 25 pounds of marijuana.
Mariela K. Escobar, of San Luis, appeared Monday afternoon for an arraignment hearing in Celina Municipal Court. Judge James Scheer increased bond to $1 million as requested by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.
Escobar remains incarcerated in Putnam County as the Mercer County Jail has no facilities for housing female prisoners. Although no date has been set for a preliminary hearing, the proceeding could take place as early as Friday.
The case likely will be presented to a Mercer County grand jury scheduled to meet later this week.
The third-degree felony carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine upon conviction.
Escobar has no prior criminal record, according to a search by Celina Police.
Celina Police were notified someone would likely pick up a suspicious package believed to contain drugs at the local United Parcel Service center in the Celina Industrial Park. Police, along with members of the Grand Lake Task Force and deputies from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office, were waiting. The stop took place shortly after 4 p.m. Friday in the area of Grand Lake Road and Industrial Drive.
"We received information from outside contacts and worked with United Parcel employees," Police Chief Dave Slusser told The Daily Standard. "The suspect offered no resistance."
The cardboard package, addressed to the suspect, contained a compacted bundle of marijuana securely wrapped in paper and plastic. The drug reportedly has a street value in excess of $15,000.
Officers also seized a 1995 Cadillac bearing Indiana license plates and approximately $430 in cash at the time of the traffic stop and arrest.
Police, along with other law enforcement agencies, continue to investigate the incident as well as the flow of drugs into this area.
Additional online story on this date
An area mother investigating why her son had not left for work found him dead in bed Monday morning.
Nathaniel Heitbrink, 23, 224 Jackson St., Celi [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
The city of Celina has negotiated a lower rate for natural gas for customers who participate in the city aggregation program.
The new price of $9.8
COLDWATER - Councilors gave first reading to the village's 2008 pay ordinance that would give all salaried employees a $1,500 raise, while raising the wage of all hourly employees 3 percent.
NEW BREMEN - The Auglaize County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD) submitted their Christmas wish: a budget request for $4.7 million for the upcoming year.
ST. MARYS - Council members unanimously passed third reading to close the city's power plant.
"This has been very well discussed over the past six months," said council President Dan Hoelscher as he called for the final vote at Monday night's city council meeting.
ST. HENRY - Village council members on Monday went over the first reading of temporary appropriations for expenditures for the first quarter of fiscal year 2008.
It was Ottawa-Glandorf and Lima Shawnee battling it out in week 10 for the Western Buckeye League football championship and it was the Titans and Indians battling it out for the most all-WBL awards as well.