Two men arrested in Visalia on drug charges

Two men were arrested in Visalia on Feb. 13 on drug offenses, and one was charged with resisting arrest with force, Visalia police said.

Ruben Mendoza, 31, was arrested on suspicion of possession and transportation of narcotics for sale, and resisting arrest with force or violence. Marco Chavez, 37, was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale.

Around 4 p.m. on Feb. 13, officers stopped a vehicle near Mooney Boulevard and Houston Avenue in Visalia.

Mendoza, a passenger in the vehicle, was found to have approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine, Visalia police said. When an officer attempted to arrest Mendoza, he allegedly tried to fight the officer. He broke free and ran with an officer in pursuit. Mendoza was soon arrested. The vehicle fled the scene.

Chavez, who was a bystander, believed officers were coming for him and began jumping fences, Visalia police said. Officers on the perimeter stopped him and found he had around  1/2 ounce of methamphetamine.

Both men were booked into the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility.

This story was originally published February 14, 2016 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Two men arrested in Visalia on drug charges."