LITTLEFIELD – A routine traffic stop evolved into a significant drug seizure with three arrests in extreme north Mohave County on Sunday, Oct.13. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) reports an erratic lane change and a records check revealing suspended registration and lack of insurance prompted the 9:45 p.m. traffic stop on Interstate 15, four miles south of the Utah border.
“As deputies approached the vehicle, they observed the passengers moving hastily around the compartment,” said MCSO public information officer Anita Mortensen. Occupants of the vehicle were identified as Chelsea Wiley, 30, Mesquite, NV., Erica Shipley, 36 and Brandon Behrle, 28, both of Littlefield.
“As deputies waited for the driver’s identificaiton, they observed a glass pipe in the waist band of Shipley’s clothes and asked her to step out of the vehicle,” Mortensen said. “The driver and the backseat passenger were removed from the vehicle and a probable cause search of the vehicle revealed a hidden compartment behind the stereo system, where deputies located over a pound of methamphetamine.”
Mortensen said the search also produced confiscation of three grams of heroin, one fentanyl pill and various drug paraphernalia items. All three suspects were arrested, transported to Kingman and booked into the Adult Detention Facility for various drug offenses.
Dave Hawkins
