By Aaron Burgin, The Porterville Recorder

The investigations into a flurry of drug-related incidents that led to five arrests on Friday continued through the weekend, Porterville police said.

Police made the arrests following two separate events on Friday, Porterville Sgt. Jake Castellow said. “They are being investigated as separate cases,” Castellow said. “Originally, some of the officers believed that with the proximity of the events that they could be related, and we could find out that they are later on down the line, but right now, they’re two separate incidents.” Police raided a house on the 200 block of North Larson Street Friday night, uncovering a large amount of drugs and drug-related items.

Alberto Lucitero, 34 and Ismael Romero, 28, both from Portervile, were arrested on a number of felony drug-related charges after police served a search warrant of the Larson Street residence late 7 p.m. Friday. Special Investigations Unit officers found 568 grams of methamphetamine packaged and ready for sale inside of the house.

The drugs have a street value of $20,000, Sgt. Jake Castellow said. Officers also found packaging material, a scale and other drug paraphernalia inside of the house.

Police had been investigating the house as a possible center of drug trafficking for “quite some time,” and more arrests could be forthcoming, Castellow said. Earlier Friday, Isabel Gloria, 36, Salvador Martinez, 40, and Terry Bratton, 42, all from Porterville, were arrested on a variety of drug charges in an incident that started when police followed a car, with three passengers inside, on suspected traffic violation. The car pulled into a residence on the 400 block of West Union Avenue, where a woman came out of the house and approached the car, Sg.t Larry Rodriguez said.

Upon seeing the police cruiser, the woman and Martinez, who was driving the car, fled. Police were able to catch Martinez, who tripped and fell near the corner of Jaye Street and West Center Avenue. The woman was able to elude police and is still at large, Rodriguez said.

A search of the vehicle yielded 20 bindles of methamphetamine ready for sale, a large knife and a toy gun modeled after a .45 caliber pistol. “They took off the orange cap and it looked real,” Rodriguez said. Police arrested Gloria, who was a passenger in the vehicle. Bratton, who was inside the house, was arrested after police searched the house and discovered she had prior warrants. The third passenger, a middle-age man, was released at the scene after being handcuffed and questioned by police.

Both women are being held at Bob Wiley Detention Facility in Visalia. Martinez is being held at Tulare County Main Jail in Visalia.

Contact Aaron Burgin at 784-5000, Ext. 1046, or aburgin@portervillerecorder.com.

This story was published in The Porterville Recorder on August 19, 2006