Erica Higuera and her son, Humberto “Junior” Higuera, pleaded not guilty to 25 charges each at their first Solano County Superior Court appearance on Monday afternoon.
The two were arrested Thursday at their residence at 301 Avian Drive, where federal law enforcement officials allege Erica Higuera was operating a day care and also had drugs and weapons on site. Law enforcement officers found about 11,000 pills they believe to be fentanyl or OxyContin and a variety of weapons.
Bail for the defendants has been set at $1 million each.
REALTED: Guns, drugs seized from Bay Area daycare
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The bulk of the charges, identical for both of the accused, are felony allegations of possessing high-capacity magazines, for which each defendant faces nine counts. Other charges include possession of armor-piercing ammunition, possession of a silencer, two counts of possessing a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, four counts of possession of assault weapons, three counts of possessing Glock semi-automatic handguns with drugs, three counts of possessing an assault rifle with drugs, and one count of possession of fentanyl or OxyContin with intent to distribute.
The duo will return to court in Vallejo on March 10 for a readiness conference, followed by a preliminary examination for each, which is set for March 11.
Erica Higuera is being represented by well-known Vallejo defense attorney Thomas Maas, and Humberto Higuera is being represented by Napa-based defense attorney Cate Beekman.
The arrests appear to be in conjunction with that of multiple other people connected with the Brown Brotherhood across Solano County who were arrested last week following a yearlong investigation that involved both local and federal law enforcement. Carlos Higuera-Aldana, 23, is facing federal charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in the Department of Justice’s Eastern District of California.
In September, Higuera-Aldana sold a controlled purchase of two pounds of methamphetamine to federal agents, according to warrants used for his arrest. That led to surveillance at 806 Sheridan St. in Vallejo and 1350 W F St., Dixon, residences associated with him. Cell phone communications between Huiguera-Aldana and BBH member “Clowny” Alonzo-Medina, were observed by federal law enforcement and used during the course of the investigation.
The city of Vallejo hosted the joint press conference last week announcing the arrests with representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, the FBI and ATF. Vallejo Mayor Andrea Sorce used the occasion to declare progress against violent crime in Vallejo.
“I want to send a message to the criminal element that the days of thinking you can come to Vallejo and do your business with impunity are over,” she said.
According to a post from the Solano County Sheriff’s Department, the yearlong investigations culminated Thursday with the seizure of about 100,000 fentanyl pills, 16 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.5 pounds of cocaine, 21 firearms and about $176,000 in cash.
