Two members of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s “J-Team” took another suspected drug dealer off the streets Thursday. The team, officially known as the Juvenile Intervention Team, focuses on drug-related crimes and juvenile intervention, acting on tips garnered from the community as well as observations from patrol deputies.

Deputies Dubin and Jones were conducting a patrol check in the rear parking lot of an apartment complex in the 24800 block of Newhall Avenue, Newhall when they contacted the suspect who identified himself to the deputies as Carlos Ruiz.

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Through their investigation, the deputies determined the suspect was in possession of several individually packaged baggies of methamphetamine and ecstasy and he was arrested.

While booking him at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the deputies discovered via fingerprint identification that Carlos Ruiz was actually Belter Chinchilla, a 29-year old male Hispanic. Chinchilla is a previously deported felon who was also wanted in connection with several other cases.

Chinchilla had three felony warrants totalling $150,000 out of Santa Clarita for attempted rape, domestic violence, and assault. He also had a no bail warrant for possession of a controlled substance for sale. He now faces additional felony charges of possession of a controlled substance for sales and a misdemeanor charge of providing a false name to a peace officer. He is being held without bail pending future court proceedings.

The J-Team, comprised of patrol deputies, special assignment deputies and Narcotics Headquarters Bureau detectives specifically focusing on drug related crimes and juvenile intervention, have netted more than 100 felony drug related arrests in just the past three months.

“We are aggressively going after these drug dealers,” said Captain Paul Becker of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. “The efforts of our newly formed Juvenile Intervention Team and all the deputies are starting to pay off. We are putting a serious dent in the illegal operations of these criminals. Anyone conducting this type of activity in our community should be put on notice that we will not tolerate illegal drugs in the lives of our youth.

“The number of crime tips provided by the public through our new program also indicates significant progress is being made through this crime prevention partnership. Keep them coming,” he concluded.