Menlo Park Man Accused Of Dealing Drugs With Young Son In Car

REDWOOD CITY (CBS SF) – A Menlo Park man pulled over in East Palo Alto last week with a gun and five different kinds of drugs, including 24 grams of marijuana in reach of his 5-year-old son, pleaded not guilty to felony charges on Monday, prosecutors said.

Jameel Collins, 36, has been charged with three counts of transporting drugs, three counts of possessing drugs for sale, illegal possession of marijuana for sale, illegal firearm possession, carrying a concealed firearm and child endangerment.

He was pulled over by Menlo Park police detectives at Clarke Avenue and Bay Road in East Palo Alto at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday for tinted windows and expired registration.

When approached, officers noticed his 5-year-old son was in the car's front seat without a car seat and there was a bag with 24 grams of marijuana sitting on the ashtray within reach of the child, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

There was a digital scale on the front seat as well.

The officers determined Collins was on probation for a previous weapons violation and searched his car, finding $805 cash and four cellphones. In a hidden compartment near the steering wheel, they found 35.65 grams of heroin, 9.65 grams of methamphetamine, 5.74 grams of cocaine, five hydrocodone pills and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, prosecutors said.

Collins had been out on bail for another drug sales charge. He was arrested and booked into jail, where he remains on $435,000 bail, according to prosecutors.

He was set to return to court for a preliminary hearing this morning.

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