Police find suspect hiding in store’s basement
Crestina Balderas, 40, Shiocton, is charged with possession of narcotics, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and felony bail jumping.
Shortly before 11 p.m. Monday, June 29, New London police Officer Chad Ewing and Sgt. Todd Sarazin responded to a 911 call regarding a suspicious woman at La Costenita store on W. North Water Street.
According to the criminal complaint, they found the woman, later identified as Balderas, hiding in the store’s basement.
To reach Balderas, Ewing had to crawl over a 2-foot half wall into a room where the ceiling was 5-feet above the floor. There was standing water in the room.
The officers described Balderas as shaking, unsteady and sweating profusely.
She appeared to be on drugs and spoke in an erratic, sometimes incoherent manner.
Balderas initially misidentified herself as her sister and gave the wrong birth date.
Inside Balderas’ purse, Ewing found a wad of cash, five driver’s licenses, a digital scale, two pill bottles and a small plastic bag with a white powder that tested positive as cocaine, the complaint says.
A blue van was parked behind the store.
Balderas denied it was her van, but police say she had the keys to the vehicle.
Police reported finding marijuana in the van.
Waupaca County released Balderas from custody on a $1,000 signature bond.
However, she is currently in Outagamie County jail on a probation hold.
On Dec. 5, 2019, Outagamie County convicted Balderas of two counts of felony bail jumping and one count of battery. She was placed on two years of probation.