MYRTLE CREEK, Ore. – A Douglas County detective dove into a river to retrieve evidence in what’s now a drug case.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on April 6, detectives were following 60-year-old Robert Paul Muniain of Oakdale, California, as part of an ongoing drug investigation.
As Muniain was driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Myrtle Creek, detectives tried to stop him. Muniain slowed, but he reportedly refused to stop and continued into the city. As he was crossing a bridge over the South Umpqua River, Muniain was seen throwing a bag out the window into the river below.
After he threw the object, Muniain stopped and was taken into custody.
A Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team member was worried the bag contained drugs. As he saw it float downriver, he jumped into the water and retrieved it. DCSO said the bag contained over a pound of methamphetamine, which was described as “not a personal use amount.” The detective who dove into the water was not injured.
Muniain was lodged in the Douglas County Jail for unlawful possession and delivery of methamphetamine. More charges are pending.
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