Three people have been arrested on drug charges after Mesa police responded to a call and found 750,000 fentanyl pills inside a vehicle.

Police went on a welfare check call just before 10:30 a.m. July 4 in a parking lot at 645 W. Rio Salado Parkway, authorities stated in a Tuesday news release. The caller stated three people were in a gold Cadillac, and the driver appeared to be unconscious. 

Officers pulled up to the Cadillac and as they began walking toward the car, the driver, 26-year-old Gabriel Rodriguez, opened the door and ran away, police said.

Two officers ran after him and one officer stayed with the vehicle, which was occupied by Julian Reyes, 38, and  Sunflower Short, 24, police said.

“The officer could see small blue pills scattered throughout the car in addition to a partially opened duffel bag containing several medium sized packages wrapped in packing tape,” the release stated.

Rodriguez was caught and taken to a hospital after cutting his arm on razor wire while trying to flee, police said.

After obtaining a search warrant, officers found 58 packaged bundles – more than 200 pounds - and two to three smaller opened bundles inside the vehicle.

“The packages contained approximately 750,000 M30 blue pills of illicit fentanyl, street valued at $1.2 million," the release stated.

Reyes and Short were booked into jail for possession of narcotic drugs and drug paraphernalia, while Rodrigez remains in the hospital but is facing charges of possession and transport of narcotic drugs for sale and possession of narcotic drugs when he is discharged, according to police.

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