A San Francisco rideshare passenger was arrested after leaving a backpack containing approximately $26,625 worth of methamphetamine in the vehicle. The driver of the rideshare vehicle alerted police to the discovered backpack.
Officers were dispatched to the Union Square neighborhood around 2 p.m. and upon searching the backpack, found about 355 grams, or more than three-quarters of a pound, of suspected methamphetamine. According to the Department of Justice, a gram of methamphetamine typically sells for about $75 in San Francisco.
The police department coordinated with the driver to arrange for the backpack's return to the passenger at a local motel. Upon arrival at the motel, authorities apprehended the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Sacramento resident Jessie Ottman-Combs.
A subsequent search of Ottman-Combs' motel room uncovered two cell phones, two tablets, and drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the San Francisco County Jail on felony charges including drug possession and transportation or sales, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ottman-Combs was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. If convicted, he faces potential prison sentences of up to two years for possession and up to nine years for transportation or sales charges. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.