THERE IS A STORY THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS MUG SHOT.
I was arrested in the middle of the night for under the influence of heroin. I had a campsite set up alongside the RR tracks near skid row of Salinas, CA and every so often the night shift officers would come and check me out and see who I had with me, they were looking for absconders. My camp was pretty large and it was waterproof so every night people would come to me and I would charge them to stay the night, either drugs, money or they would be a lookout for a couple of hours. I was a small time street pusher at the time so I would spend the nights packaging dope and getting high with whoever was there. That night the Sergeant shows up and calls out to me, “Who do have in there Cy?” He knew me from the many times he had been there. He never really harassed me he would just do his rounds and check up, I believe he really did care for the people out there. That night he was training a couple of rookies, and after admitting to the sergeant that I had used heroin earlier in the day, like I always did while being questioned and searched, I mean why lie, he just gave me the talk about turning my life around. The rookie on the other hand figured I needed taking off the streets. He arrested me and took me in. I appealed to the sergeant but what was he going to do take the side of a junkie over fellow officers?
Interesting thing is I always posted a lookout while I packaged my drugs, but this time the guy out there had warrants so when he saw the cops sneaking up on us he quietly snuck out of there to hide. I never knew they were coming.
I had my guard down, not because there was no-one posted to be a look-out but because I had left the Stronghold of my Savior and pitched my tent in the enemies’ camp. I had no protection from my enemies that surrounded me, but God rescued me from serious trouble. I did about 5 days in jail that time and while I was down some men came to my camp in the middle of the night to do me great harm. When I did get out of jail and I returned everyone was telling me how a bunch of men came with shotguns to kill me, apparently I had made someone mad. It happens on the streets sometimes, worst thing to do is get caught slippen.
One thing I used to do was allow prostitutes to stay there and use my camp, they always kicked down cash or drugs for me doing it but I did it for other reasons. I wouldn’t take advantage of them, just give them a place to do their thing instead of out in the bushes and plus they also bought a lot of drugs from me and brought buyers to me too. I truly did feel very bad for them, they had it the hardest of all street people. It was probably someone’s pimp or connection that was mad at me. I never knew why they came. I knew who they were but not what beef they had with me. By the time I was released and returned to my camp, these men have all been arrested themselves and I never had to be confronted by them.
Even in my backslidden state and in the condition I was in at the time God still had His hand on my life. People will always claim, "Oh it just wasn't your time", but the truth is it just wasn't God's time to let me go. His Word says He will never leave you or forsake you and this picture is proof of that. God also says that "Who so ever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved!" And the man you see on the right at one time begged God to save his soul and God was faithful. He not only freed me from the guilt of my sins but He also filled me with an abundant life as well. That is why the smile.
In my memory there are so many more images that took place between the time of these two you see here, and they are far more shocking to behold and way more revealing of God's Amazing Grace and Mercy.
My friend Bonnie commended me for the courage it took to post this the last time I did and though I love you for your words Bon please understand, it took no courage at all to post these pictures. It’s all gratitude. I thank God for finding me at my worst and still loving me. My prayer is that through this picture His love will be revealed to another. God Bless You All and thank you for taking the time to read this.
