Eleven arrested in El Campo in Gibson St. task force bust
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

Eleven people were arrested - some for outstanding warrants, others on drug charges - after El Campo police carried out search warrants on two Gibson Street houses Thursday night.

According to police arrest reports, the District Attorney's Drug Task Force got search warrants for homes at 302 and 310 Gibson because they believed the houses' residents were involved in illegal narcotic activities.

Just before 6 p.m. Thursday, officers from El Campo PD, Wharton County Sheriff's deputies and constables from Precincts 2 and 4 raided both homes.

They arrested Eric Eugene Holloway, 28, of 302 Gibson on two warrants for delivery of a controlled substance.

In the raid at 310 Gibson, police found 11 adults inside the house, and arrested seven of them. They are:

• Steven Warren Fenton, 51, of 310 Gibson on a charge of possession of less than a gram of a controlled substance;

• Ricky Nell Johnson, 46, of 110 W. Alfred on charges of tampering with physical evidence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a dangerous drug for the purpose of selling;• Arthur Davis Jr., 61, of 805 Palacios on a warrant for failure to appear and two warrants for expired registration;

• Artemio Rodriguez Jr., 32, of 604 N. Washington on two warrants for possession of drug paraphernalia and warrants for assault family violence and no insurance;

• Bonnie Denise Thornton, 48, of 316 Palacios on an Austin Pardon and Parole Board warrant for parole violation, three warrants for issuance of a bad check and warrants for no insurance, no driver's license and failure to yield right-of-way;

• Ira Linda Gibson Kalani, 40, of 907 E. Jackson on a charge of possession of a controlled substance and a Matagorda County warrant for failure to appear; and

• Garry Lamont Parson, 37, of 1220 John on a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

While conducting the raid at 310 Gibson, officers saw a man sitting on a porch across the street who they knew was a fugitive. They arrested the man - Anthony Manciaz McMillian, 22, of 309 Gibson - at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on two warrants for delivery of a controlled substance.

The next day, two other men were arrested at other locations on charges related to the same narcotics investigation.

Michael Edwin Williams Jr., 25, of 701 W. First was arrested at 7:55 a.m. Friday at his home on a warrant for delivery of a controlled substance.

Diego Ernesto Delgado, 18, of 605 Bruns was arrested at 8:02 a.m. Friday, Feb. 29 on two warrants for delivery of a controlled substance, a charge of possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana and warrants for failure to drive in a single lane, no insurance, disorderly conduct - fighting and no driver's license.

All of those arrested remained in custody at presstime Friday.

Wharton County District Attorney's Narcotics Task Force, which includes officers from the El Campo and Wharton police departments and Wharton County Sheriff's Department, came into being in January 2006 at the behest of District Attorney Josh McCown.