Elderly Drug Dealer Arrested While on Bail

The name Jack Smith is not new to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office or to the Santa Cruz County Jail. And this weekend the 75-year-old Felton man made a return visit to incarceration.

Smith was arrested at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at Capitola Road and 17th Avenue in Live Oak for transportation and possession for sales of methamphetamine, cocaine, Morphine, Hydrocodone and Norco and committing a felony while out on bail.

According to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, Smith was pulled over at the intersection for a vehicle code violation. Deputies spotted him attempting to conceal three grams of methamphetamine and a pile of pills. 

In all, "deputies found 5.3 grams of methamphetamine, 2.3 grams of cocaine, 19 Norco pills, 34 Morphine pills, 123 Hydrocodone pills, a scale, packaging material and over $500 cash," a Sheriff's Office statement said. 

At the time of his arrest, Smith was already out on bail for previous drugs sales charges. His former residence in Felton was recently red-tagged as well for building code violations, which came to the attention of authorities after years of numerous neighbor complaints of blight and drug activity at the house. The home is now in foreclosure.

Also in the vehicle with White on the evening of March 29 was Kristen Hammel, 32, of Scotts Valley. According to the Sheriff's Office, she was cited and released for "delaying officers by refusing lawful orders."  

"We see that repeat offenders drug charges constantly," Sheriff's Deputy April Skalland said of 75-year-old Smith. "But I think a lot of times, the drug users either clean up their act by the time they get that old or they die before they get that old."

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