WASHINGTON CITY — Two St. George residents were arrested Sunday after drugs and child endangerment after being found with methamphetamine in a drug free zone and a child in the car.
Washington City Police Officer Eric DeMille stopped a car with Shakara Christensen and Anthony Williams inside after the vehicle failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, DeMille wrote in a probable cause statement supporting the arrest. Upon approaching the car, he saw Williams sitting on top of the center console, along with a child in the vehicle.
Christensen, who was driving the car, provided the officer with false information about her identity, DeMille said in the statement. After correctly identifying her, DeMille discovered Christensen currently had a warrant out for her arrest.
DeMille allowed Christensen to hold her child while waiting for her mother to arrive to pick up the child, DeMille said in the statement. While waiting for her mother, Christensen gave Williams a hug, where DeMille witnessed an exchange take place.
“Officers observed Anthony reach into the driver’s pants and pull something out,” DeMille said in the statement.
After seeing the exchange, police searched Williams and located a bag of suspected methamphetamine, DeMille said in the statement. Both Christensen and Williams were placed under arrest and transported to Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
Upon arrival, officers at the jail conducted a search on Christensen where they discovered Suboxone — a medication that is approved by the FDA for the treatment of opiate dependence — in her underwear, DeMille said in the statement.
Drug charges for both Christensen and Williams were enhanced because the arrest took place within 1,000 feet of the Washington Branch Library.
Christensen is charged with one second-degree felony for drug possession; two third-degree felonies for possession of drugs in a jail and endangering a child with drugs; two class A misdemeanors for drug possession and providing false information to a police officer; a class B misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia; and two class C misdemeanors for driving on a suspended registration and a previous warrant.
Christensen’s bail is set at $24,734.
Williams is also charged with a second-degree felony for drug possession and a class B misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Williams’ bail is set at $10,583.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Ed. note: Suboxone is a medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of opiate dependence; correction made as originally stated to be a medication for the treatment of chronic pain.
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More outstanding pillars of the community. Tweakers ALWAYS get caught. Tweakers are some of the lowest forms of life that inhabit this community. They steal, lie, break and enter, steal from family and a host of other criminal activity just to support their meth habit. Good job Officer DeMille….keep up the good work.
Are they from Dixie? Surely this little lapse of judgement with a child warrants a small fund raiser of some sort.
Let’s hold a charity Dance! oh…. wait….
Lets keep things in perspective… at least they were not dancing!
Isn’t everywhere a “drug free” zone
Isn’t all of Washington County zoned for Prescription Drugs, the drugs of choice for most Utahans?
Lol! That is true, however the charge is intensified if the incident happens within 1000 feet of certain kinds of places, i.e. schools, churches, civic buildings, etc. What makes your comment even funnier is that, living in Southern Utah, you almost can’t go anywhere and not be within 1000 feet of a church building…
I take prescription drugs because I am depressed that I can’t dance.
Dang tweekers.
At least no stray dogs were shot or molested.
Free Anthony Williams, he is not liable for those charges, just because he was in the car dont mean he is a criminal, he could of just been a hitch hicker going home, just at the wrong place at the wrong time, thinking of you brotha, u being prayed for,
This comment is directed to the author, Devin Chavez of the above article, “Drug Bust”. I think you need to get your facts straight before plastering this uninformed, incorrect information on the front page of your paper. Shakara Christensen was arrested. That you got right. The rest is not correct and has done nothing but plant seeds in the minds of people who don’t know the truth. The truth is, methamphetamine was not found in or around the suspects or their vehicle. It was marijuana. She was NOT within 1000 ft. of a drug free zone and the felony charges were not enhanced, and Suboxone is NOT used for pain control. It is used as a opiate blocker, which means a person will not get “high” if they use opiates while on Suboxone. You will find my comments accurate if you check the bookings online with Washington County. It explains the degree of felonies and doesn’t even mention methamphetamines. Think of the damage you have done to Miss Christensen and her family but printing distorted information. The arrest was justified, but the information you printed was not!
DKB, I am not sure what the source of your facts is, but I have reviewed Mr. Chavez’s report against both the probable cause statement filed by the police in support of Christensen’s arrest, and the Information filed by the County Attorney initiating prosecution. Both support the charges and the details surrounding the arrest and charges brought as stated in the report. If you have verifiable information otherwise, we welcome your input. You may email me directly: [email protected]
However, we were in error on the primary use of Suboxone. I have made a correction with the following note: Suboxone is a medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of opiate dependence; correction made as originally stated to be a medication for the treatment of chronic pain.
I hope that helps and our best to recovery in all respects for these defendants.
ST. GEORGE NEWS | STGnews.com
Joyce Kuzmanic
Editor in Chief
If they lock the meth in a hot car will they get a fundraiser????
Utah tourism folks should add this line to their promotions: “Come to Utah and Learn All There Is to Know About the Drug Culture!”
Oh, wait, the rest of the world already understands this…Ironic, isn’t it to have a state “run” by a religion and also be a state so well-known across the nation as a major center for illegal drugs. What’s wrong with this picture?
Well that could of been worse they could of had their children watching them dance. You want to talk about child abuse
I hope this didn’t take place in a dance free zone
Are the drugs really that bad there? We are looking at moving there. Coming from CA where drugs are horrible, on our visit there. We never see the activity being posted here. Is it possibly on a lower scale than were used to in CA? Or do we have blinders on?
My family and I are coming to the region, I have been reading comments posted on this site as well as stories and wonder if this is a horrible place to live or just a few isolated incidents. In Florida we have drug problems as do many communities. In all of my visits to Utah have I ever noticed anything to be out of place that did not fit the rest of the country as far as what to expect from certain segments of society. Drugs and crime are every where. The community you live in is what you and your neighbors make of it. Whats the deal in St George? What areas should be avoided?
The carpet that these problems are swept under is a lot bigger here. Probably more dirt under it too.
If you and your family are NOT LDS, you may find it difficult to “blend” in. A lot of kids are not permitted to play or hang out with kids that are not of the predominant religion. So some kids will end up being welcomed by kids who have drug issues. Also, prescription drug dependency on Utah is extraordinarily high. But if you can navigate these issues, St. George is a great place.
Lee – We have lived here for 15+ years and love it. Yes, the crime rate, drugs, etc seems to be growing in Washington County. As for some families not letting their children not play with those kids of different religions (see comment above)- well, you can find a rotten apple in every bunch of people. But we have been included and loved by our neighbors of all denominations. We live in the Santa Clara area and LOVE IT! Hope if you and your family move here you will be as welcomed and loved as we are and as we try to be to new families who move in!
To Lee and Ron, this area is certainly no worse off than anyplace else in the country. There are drug problems everywhere. I know that in reading these comments, you probably have a skewered view of the area. Keep in mind that most comments on here are sour grapes.
Sure, we have our problems. Sure, there is some religious discrimination here, as well as racial discrimination. But no worse that to be expected. In fact, both kinds of discrimination are not nearly as prevalent as they were 20 years ago.
I am a non Mormon, living in a neighborhood made up of mostly Mormons. I’m on good terms with my neighbors, and we do things back and forth for each other to help out. Don’t let the negativity get to you, but don’t think you will be moving to paradise, either.
Certainly no rainbows, flying unicorns and no skittles falling from the sky and certainly not Mayberry