MONROE, N.C. — Two men were arrested in Monroe after a traffic stop for driving without headlights led deputies to discover cocaine hidden inside a guitar.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office conducted the stop on Highway 74 after midnight Tuesday.
Deputies identified the driver as Ivan Lopez and the passenger as William Alejamdro Guiterrez-Funez.
While speaking with Lopez, deputies say the saw multiple open containers of alcohol inside the car. They also reported detecting the odor of alcohol on the driver’s breath.
After a series of field sobriety tests, deputies determined that Lopez was impaired.
During the sobriety tests, the passenger, Guiterrez-Funez, began singing and playing a guitar. The sheriff’s office described the performance as “roadside entertainment.”
Deputies searched the vehicle and the guitar belonging to Guiterrez-Funez. Inside the instrument, they discovered a sandwich bag containing cocaine.
Lopez was charged with driving while impaired, failure to burn headlamps and driving without a license. He was given a $2,500 secure bond. Guiterrez-Funez was charged with possession of cocaine and received a $5,000 secure bond.
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