K-9 Sniffs Out Drugs After Traffic Stop In Wallace

Wallace, CA – A K-9’s nose led to the arrest of a Lodi man after fentanyl, meth, and a loaded handgun were turned up in his car.

Around midnight on Sunday, October 20, 2024, a Calaveras County Sheriff’s Patrol Sergeant pulled over a vehicle near the intersection of Highway 12 and Wards Avenue in the Wallace area. A records check revealed that the driver, 42-year-old Chad Nathaniel Hixson, was on probation with a restricted driver’s license for only driving to and from work. Hixson claimed he was in the area visiting friends.

The sergeant’s K-9 unit, Titan, then put his nose to work sniffing along the exterior of the vehicle. He got a hit when he reached the front passenger’s door. Inside the vehicle, the sergeant uncovered a gray backpack that sheriff’s officials say contained 3.3 grams of fentanyl, some methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. Also located were a loaded handgun, ammunition and additional drug paraphernalia littered throughout the car.

Hixson was arrested for several felonies, including being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, ammunition, transportation of narcotics, and sales, along with various misdemeanor charges.