On Oct. 6, the Watertown Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 1300 block of 9th Ave SE which, after investigation, led the seizure of a sizeable amount of drugs.
According to the police department, officers pulled over a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica on the basis of a vehicle equipment violation for a cracked windshield. During the stop, the officer had reason to believe that there were narcotics in the vehicle; the driver and passenger refused a voluntary search and subsequently a narcotics detection canine, named Laya, and her handler Officer Hansen were dispatched to the scene.
Laya indicated that the vehicle was carrying narcotics, creating probable cause for officers to search the vehicle.
The search turned up methamphetamine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and various paraphernalia.
Subsequently, driver Heather Painter, 47, of Starbuck, Minn., was arrested for three counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia, driving on a suspended license, and a cracked windshield. The passenger, Joshua Monson, 42, of Starbuck, Minn., was also arrested and charged with the possession of a controlled substance, ingesting a controlled substance, and possession of paraphernalia.
“Anytime we’re getting prescription drugs or controlled substances off of the street, that’s a significant thing for [the police department],” WPD Captain Steve Rehorst said. “Whether it’s for personal use or getting a distributor off the street, we’re preventing drugs from getting in other’s hands or preventing an overdose.”
The incident remains open and under investigation.