By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter

Benicia police arrested a Benicia man early Monday in the Solano County Square parking lot after a police dog detected drugs in the vicinity of the man’s car. A search turned up drugs, weapons and a suspected incendiary device, Lt. Frank Hartig said Tuesday afternoon.

Corporal Gregg Rouse was patrolling the shopping center about 12:28 a.m. Monday when he saw a man walking near Pizza Pirate, 72 Solano Square. No store was open in the center at that time, Hartig said.

When the man went to his 2000 Mitsubishi Gallant, parked in front of 90 Solano Square, Rouse spoke with him, Hartig said. The man couldn’t explain why he was at the shopping center after the businesses were closed, Hartig said.

Benicia police K-9 Officer Kirk Keffer and his dog, Bak, examined the vehicle’s exterior, and the dog indicated the presence of narcotics at the car, Hartig said.

When the vehicle was searched, officers found a small amount of methamphetamine in the passenger compartment, Hartig said.

He said they also found what appeared to be what Hartig described as a “suspected Molotov cocktail,” a chemical incendiary device of unidentified composition, an illegal martial arts throwing star called a shuriken, a billy club under the car’s front seat and 32.5 grams of marijuana and a digital scale in the trunk.

Police also recovered two unloaded firearms, a .22 caliber rifle and a .22 caliber handgun, Hartig said. The man also had a glass pipe, Hartig said.

The man, identified as Ryan Estrella, 26, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a dangerous weapon (billy club), possession of a shuriken, possession of methamphetamine and possession of narcotic paraphernalia, Hartig said.

Estrella was taken to Solano County Jail, Fairfield, he said.

Benicia police obtained a warrant about 5 p.m. Monday to search Estrella’s home in the 500 block of Cooper Drive, Hartig said, but no other explosives materials were found.

“The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms took possession of the improvised incendiary device and will be processing it to determine its contents,” Hartig said. “Further charges could be filed at a later date.”

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