Crime & Safety
Informant Helps Deputies Nab Suspected Heroin Dealer
A 23-year-old San Clemente man remains in jail on suspicion of dealing drugs and possessing a gun and drug paraphernalia.
San Clemente Deputies tapped a confidential informant to nab a man they suspected of selling drugs from his rented room in a Camino de los Mares apartment complex, according to court records reviewed by Patch.
Kyle Robert Rozunko, 23, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of drug possession with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia and two sentencing enhancements for possession of a personal firearm. A search warrant used in the case shows how investigators build a case against a suspected drug dealer.
According to court records, deputies found 59.6 grams of a substance that tested positive for heroin, as well as some different opiate derivatives in pill form at Rozunko’s residence on the 600 block of Camino de Los Mares. During their search, they also found a glass vial with 6.9 grams of a substance that tested positive for meth, the warrant states.
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Deputies also listed on the warrant they found a 9mm semi-automatic Taurus PT-92 AF handgun that was dismantled and hidden in different parts of Rozunko’s bedroom, which he rented from a family.
The drugs -- including smoking paraphernalia -- were mostly found in a gray cloth bag Rozunko had allegedly thrown out the window when deputies came to search the home. Deputies also found a bulletproof vest and helmet in Rozunko’s closet, according to the search warrant.
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Deputies seized more than $1,800 in cash at the scene, according to the court documents.
The search warrant was granted February 13, and the receipt for the items seized was returned to the court April 11. Rozunko was taken into custody May 8.
The deputy who requested the warrant -- Deputy C. Lang -- said the informant had a pending criminal case against him or her but was offered no guarantee of leniency for helping deputies capture Rozunko. The informant’s name and specific dates involved in the search and seizure weren’t included in the warrant to protect the identity of the source, Lang said in his affidavit.
Deputies gave the informant some cash, according to the documents, and investigators followed the informant to Rozunko’s residence. They kept the building under surveillance while other deputies met the informant at a predetermined location to test the substance the informant purchased, which was “a usable amount of heroin,” according to the warrant.
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