Drug detectives busy with 3 busts

Salt Lake police narcotics detectives kicked off the weekend Friday with three good-sized busts in just 32 minutes.

In all, officers seized about 165 balloons filled with drugs.

At 11:15 a.m., detectives near 1100 S. Redwood Road arrested a 21-year-old man found to be in possession of 64 balloons of heroin and 48 balloons of cocaine. Manuel Gonzales Maldonado was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of drug possession with intent to distribute.

About thirty minutes later, investigators made back-to-back busts near 900 East and 2100 South. Detectives were looking for drug dealers in the area of Smith's. They spotted a parked vehicle with heroin and drug paraphernalia in plain site in the center console, said Salt Lake police detective Pat Wilkinson.

Drake Rowe, 27, was booked for investigation of drug possession with intent to distribute. Jason Walton, 28, was arrested for investigation of heroin possession. About 15 small balloons filled with heroin and one with cocaine were seized.

Another vehicle that was spotted just driving away from Rowe and Walton's car was pulled over a minute later. Inside that car, 27 balloons of heroin and 11 balloons with cocaine were seized. Juan Jose Espinoza, age unknown, was arrested for investigation of drug possession with intent to distribute.

— Pat Reavy