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Authorities: Man accepted ride from deputies while carrying bag of meth

Erick Cuevas-Pastrana (Courtesy Rowan County Sheriff's Office)

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A man who accepted a ride from Rowan County deputies now faces years in prison on drug and weapons charges, as well as possible deportation.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said Erick Cuevas-Pastrana was sitting alongside Woodleaf Road around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday. RCSO reports that Cuevas-Pastrana told deputies he was walking home after having an incident with his girlfriend, and that he had been walking for seven hours.

Authorities say he had a black bag with him that deputies said they would have to search if they were to offer him a ride. While talking to him, deputies discovered he had a warrant out for child support.

At that point, according to the sheriff’s office, deputies searched him, discovering more than 100 grams of methamphetamine in his bag, along with a loaded handgun and other drug paraphernalia.

Cuevas-Pastrana was booked on multiple drug and weapons charges, and his bond was set at $25,000.

Additionally, a screening of his immigration status revealed Cuevas-Pastrana is a Mexican citizen and in the country illegally. RCSO notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which placed a detainer on Cuevas-Pastrana and contacted the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Greensboro, which is considering federal prosecution on the weapons charge.