ST. GEORGE — A driver swerving on northbound Interstate 15 caught the attention of an officer in Washington City on Sunday. And the incident led to the recovery of more than 2.5 kilos of suspected cocaine found in the backseat of the car.
An officer reportedly observed a silver passenger swerving out of its lane as it headed north on I-15 shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday and conducted a traffic stop near Exit 13.
According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, the driver, 31-year-old Andres Nunez, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, told the officer he was trying to place a shirt behind his head to use as a pillow, which caused him to swerve out of his lane. He also told police he was driving a rental car.
While speaking to the driver, the officer noticed a small THC vape cartridge in the center console of the vehicle. The report also states a marijuana dispensary bag was seen on the passenger side floorboard of the car.
While writing out the citation, the officer informed Nunez he had seen the dispensary bag and the vape in the vehicle and also informed the suspect that he would be conducting a search of the car.
At that point, the suspect reportedly admitted the marijuana was his and that he had no medical marijuana card. He told police he had a small amount of marijuana inside of the trunk area of the vehicle. During a search, officers recovered the dispensary bag that contained several marijuana products.
Near the rear passenger seat, officers also found a gray Igloo cooler and inside was a large plastic bag that contained two large, square-shaped bricks wrapped in green lining that was also wrapped in plastic. The officer noted this was consistent with how cocaine is packaged for transport.
When one brick was cut open, the officer noticed it contained a white powder and suspected it was cocaine, which a field test conducted later confirmed.
Washington City Police Chief Jason Williams told St. George News the bricks of white powder had a combined weight of more than 5.5 pounds, or nearly 2.5 kilos, which is valued at more than $56,000.
Officers also found in the trunk a suitcase that contained a second dispensary bag and inside were several THC cartridges.
Inside the glovebox officers recovered a black Glock 9 mm handgun and a loaded magazine nearby.
The driver, who was also the sole occupant in the car, told officers he had rented the vehicle after a recent accident and then denied having any knowledge of the suspected cocaine that was found in the car.
When he requested an attorney, according to the report, all questioning ceased and he was transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing second-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He also faces one count of possession of a firearm by a restricted person for the Glock that was recovered from the glovebox since the firearm was found inside of a vehicle that also contained narcotics. The suspect also faces misdemeanor possession of marijuana and paraphernalia charges.
The officer also noted the suspect poses a flight risk, since he has no family ties to Utah, and requested the suspect be held without bail, a request that was approved by the court. Nunez remains in custody without bail.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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