Gun, heroin seized after traffic stop

A Monday morning traffic stop and subsequent search of an apartment on Southland Parkway led to the seizure of heroin, a .45 caliber handgun, cash and four pills.

Bruce D. Baker, 33, was arrested but charges have not been filed, according to online court records. Court records and the METRICH-MARMET news release show Baker is originally from Chicago but now lives in Marion, though an exact address was not available.

The release said METRICH-MARMET detectives stopped a vehicle in the 300 block of Barks Road West around 10:30 a.m. K9 unit Stash was deployed, leading to the alleged discovery of 91 bindles of heroin on Baker, a passenger in the vehicle.

Baker has previous Marion County Common Pleas convictions for heroin trafficking in 2013 and cocaine trafficking in 2006.This led detectives to search the apartment, where 76 grams of heroin, the handgun and $1,780 in cash were recovered. A photo released by METRICH-MARMET indicated a loaded magazine was seized along with the handgun.

This is Stash's second major drug bust in April -- he previously was deployed during an April 6 search, and METRICH-MARMET Lt. Chris Adkins said he helped detectives find 447 Xanax pills, 17 grams of marijuana and 2.1 grams of cocaine.

Dublin resident Petar Auob, 23, was arrested in connection with that case and recently indicted on third-degree felony counts of trafficking in drugs and possession of drugs and a fifth-degree felony count of possession of cocaine.

Originally published in the Marion Star on April 25, 2016.

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