OWNER OF VALLEJO MARKET ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

The owner of a failing Vallejo market apparently tried to support his
business by selling drugs on the side and ended up in jail, police said
yesterday. Narcotic officers on Wednesday arrested Hugo Padilla, 45, and a
store employee on a suspicion of selling five pounds of methamphetamine to
undercover officers. The two men were in Solano County Jail yesterday on
$100,000 bail and are scheduled for arraignment Monday. Padilla's family
declined to comment on the case. The arrests capped a three- month
investigation, which began when informants tipped off police. Padilla was
considered a light- weight drug dealer in the past but had decided to give
it up when in July he opened a Mexican market called La Guadalapana on
Benicia Road, said Les Bottomley, special agent with the Drug Enforcement
Administration. It did not take long for Padilla to start losing money in
his new store. ``I guess the business was floundering and he needed to
supplement,'' Bottomley said. ``Talk on the streets is that he tried to make
a go at being legitimate but ended up getting back into selling drugs
heavily.'' The drug deals usually took place in a back office at the market,
which is what happened when the officers bought a quarter of a pound of
cocaine on one occasion and the methamphetamine Wednesday, Bottomley said.
About 35 officers from various Bay Area agencies arrested Padilla, his
25-year-old employee, Fidel Lopez, and Padilla's son, also 25. The son was
later released when officers concluded he was not part of the drug
operation. Police estimated the street value of the methamphetamine at
$36,000. Bottomley and his team served search warrants on the business and
at Padilla's home nearby. Padilla was booked into Solano County Jail on a
suspicion of selling methamphetamine, conspiracy and possession of drugs
with the intention of selling them. Lopez faces similar charges in addition
to carrying a fake resident alien card.

©1998 San Francisco Chronicle