Joan Muniz

Name:
Muniz, Joan Ruiz

Date of Booking:
12/8/2021

Reason(s) For Booking:
Theft by Receiving Stolen Property

Schedule II Controlled Substances

Possession of firearm or knife during crime

Use of Multiple Beam Road-Lighting Equipment

License required

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the officer’s narrative report. We do not fix any spelling or grammatical errors. Any changes made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist.]

On 12-08-2021 at around 0141 hrs. I along with Dep. T. Theus was traveling north on Hwy 41. I observed a vehicle traveling south on 41 and the vehicle had its bright lights on. The vehicle continued south and did not dim the headlights. I gave the vehicle a flash of my lights in an attempt to get the driver to dim the headlights, but the vehicle’s headlights never dimmed. As the vehicle passed by I turned around and turned on my emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop. We were in the area of Carolyn Ct. and Maggie Ln. The vehicle pulled off 41 onto Maggie. I exited my patrol vehicle and made contact with the driver (later identified as Joan Muniz) and told him why I stopped him. He stated he did not realize he had his bright lights on. I asked for a driver’s license and he advised he did not have one and had never had one. I asked the passenger (later identified as Jesus Perez) if he had a license and he stated he did not. I told Muniz to step out of the car and then he was placed under arrest for driving while unlicensed. He was cuffed and the cuffs were checked for fit and double locked.

Perez was told to call for a ride and at Muniz requested try to locate someone to come get the car. Perez had a subject on the phone that was coming from Macon Ga and did not have another licensed driver with her. I then determined the vehicle would need to be towed. Perez was going to be given an escort to the jail where he could be picked up and not left out on the side of the road in the rain. He was set in the rear of my patrol car along with Muniz. I called for the on-call wrecker service and gathered my inventory log. I started on the driver’s front side and Theus on the passenger front inventorying the vehicle for valuables. Theus advised he found some crystal substance and felt it was Methamphetamine. He located it in a back pack style bag that he stated was on the rear seat within reach of both occupants. We then transitioned to a search of the vehicle. I looked on the rear driver’s side of the vehicle and pushed under the driver’s seat was another bag and it too could have been reached by either occupant. I opened the bag and found two pistols (Taurus and Glock). [REDACTED BY AGENCY]

Dep. Theus went back to Perez and removed him from the vehicle and he was placed into cuffs. Theus read Miranda to Perez and he agreed to speak without a lawyer. He stated he had only gotten a ride from Muniz and knew nothing of the guns or drugs in the car. He stated if we asked Muniz he would say it all belonged to Muniz. Muniz was read Miranda and would not give a positive or negative answer to would he talk with us. Dep. Ross arrived and Perez was placed into his patrol vehicle. I collected the two firearms. The Glock did not have a magazine in it yet there were three empty mags in the bag. They were left with the vehicle. The Taurus had a magazine with 7 unspent wound in it, but the chamber was empty. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] Personal property from both subjects was placed in individual bags. In Muniz’s wallet there was a black card holder that had two small cut straws, a razor blade, and a dollar bill that was folded several times. It looked suspicious so it was bagged with the straws and razor until it could be inspected further.

Warner Robins towing arrived and took possession of the vehicle. Both Perez and Muniz were transported to the Jail. Jail paperwork was completed and both were turned over to the jail charged with Possession of Schedule 2, Theft by Receiving (Firearm), and Possession of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime. Muniz was given two traffic charges for Failure to Dim Headlights and Driving While Unlicensed. I will seek warrants for the charges. I went back to the Sherriff’s office where we looked at the suspected drugs. The dollar bill located on Muniz was unfolded and some more crystal type substance was found. Dep Theus, assisted by Dep. Robinson, field tested one of the packages of the crystal substance and it tested positive for Methamphetamine. The suspected drugs and firearms were turned into evidence. Unit 822 camera/ BC were in use.