Everyone’s heard of tucking money under the mattress. But this week, California Highway Patrol officers discovered a cache of cash — more than $100,000 — in a mattress.
The caper started Monday night when Stockton-based officers became suspicious during a routine traffic stop on State Route 99, north of Eight Mile Road.
The driver appeared “extremely nervous,” the CHP said, exhibiting a fear beyond the usual jitters that befall motorists when they see flashing red lights in the rear-view mirror.
During a round of questioning, the driver admitted the vehicle was hauling a mountain of moola. Officers found bundles of bills inside a rolled-up inflatable mattress, according to a post from the CHP’s Facebook page.
Officers suspected the stash was connected to drug activity, a hunch confirmed when the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department brought by a drug-sniffing K-9.
The driver, who was not identified, was arrested. The case is under investigation by a narcotics task force.