Two were arrested on suspicion of trafficking fentanyl for stolen goods in East County

A 44-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of operating a scheme in which they allegedly sold or bartered fentanyl to homeless people in exchange for stolen retail goods, El Cajon police said.

Investigators said the two were arrested Monday after a two-month investigation by the department’s Special Investigations Unit, Lt. Will Guerin in a press release. The woman was arrested in February on suspicion of possession of fentanyl for sale but was released on bail.

On Monday, investigators obtained a search warrant to search a home the couple shared in Santee, Guerin said.

Guerin said the man was seen later that morning driving his car on Broadway east of State Route 67. Investigators decided to pursue the suspect and saw him meeting with several homeless people in an area known for drug activity, the lieutenant said.

Investigators detained him and found him in possession of fentanyl and items that indicated he intended to sell the drugs, investigators said.

Police then went to the couple’s home and a storage unit he rented at a facility on Rockvill Street near Magnolia Avenue, Guerin said. During the searches, investigators reportedly seized nearly two pounds of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cash, thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The suspects were arrested on drug charges. The man was also charged on suspicion of illegal possession of ammunition and stolen goods.

Police said the stolen merchandise was primarily sports memorabilia, but did not provide information about where the items may have been stolen from.