A routine traffic stop early Wednesday morning led to the arrest of a 44-year-old Clifton man wanted out of Utah and now facing additional drug charges in Mesa County.
According to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, deputies stopped a vehicle near Garfield Drive and Orchard Avenue around 12:45 a.m. on December 17, 2025. A passenger in the vehicle was identified as Pablo Padilla, who had multiple outstanding warrants, including one from Utah for failure to register as a sex offender.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Major Offender Task Force, working with the Crime Reduction Unit, took Padilla into custody after locating new suspected drug violations during the stop. He was booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- Fugitive from Other Jurisdiction – Warrant
- Fugitive from Other Jurisdiction – Warrant
- Controlled Substance: Possession of 1–4 grams of Fentanyl (F4)
- Possession of Schedule I/II Controlled Substance (M1)
- Warrant Arrest