WEB OF DRUG ARRESTS ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER AS WARRANT CALL NETS 5 SUSPECTS.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Five people were arrested on drug, gun and other charges, and more than a pound of marijuana was seized as deputies who served a search warrant at a house followed leads to two more homes.

Three of the arrests were at two government-subsidized rental homes, and officials said they have recommended the rental subsidies be terminated for violations.

``It was great how all this kind of came together,'' said sheriff's Sgt. Kyle Bistline. ``One thing led us to another and another.''

Deputies, with the assistance of a state parole agent, served a search warrant about 10:30 a.m. at a home in the 2700 block of Mohonia Avenue where a parolee was believed to be living.

Inside the house they found a pound of marijuana, most of it packaged for sales, plus a loaded handgun, deputies said. Arrested was Andrew Patterson, 34, on an outstanding warrant and on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sales and being a felon in possession of a gun.

Deputies stopped a vehicle driving away from the home and arrested driver Quina Ross, 25, of Palmdale for a warrant. She had a small amount of marijuana, they said.

Parolee Traveion Young, 20, was inside the home visiting when deputies arrived. Deputies took him to his home, where he lived with his mother and brother, and found a handgun in the bedroom he shared with his brother.

Young was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a gun. A housing investigator recommended Young's mother lose her rental subsidy for having unauthorized tenants and unreported income, deputies said.

Deputies were on their way to look for Young's brother when they spotted another man they recognized as a parolee. Mark Waters, 35, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for fishing without a license, according to the Sheriff's Department's records.

Inside Waters' home, which was being rented by his wife, Tyree Adair, 34, they found a small amount of marijuana and a steam cleaner that was rented from a local store but never returned. Deputies said they learned that the home was a rental subsidy but that Adair was a state employee and not eligible for the subsidy. Waters was arrested for the outstanding warrant, and Adair was arrested on suspicion of felony embezzlement.

Young was being held at the Lancaster sheriff's station's jail in lieu of $35,000 bail. Patterson was being held on $20,000 bail, and Waters was being held on $26,000 bail. Ross was being held in lieu of $250 bail. Adair's bail was not immediately available.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sheriff's Deputy Bob Farkas looks at marijuana seized inside a home in the 2700 block of Mohonia Avenue, where a parolee was believed to be living. Inside the house deputies found a pound of marijuana, most of it packaged for sale, plus a loaded handgun, deputies said.

(2) Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Bistline escorts Andrew Patterson, 34, after he was arrested on drug and weapons charges Wednesday and a cache of marijuana and a handgun found.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer