CEDAR CITY, Utah, Oct. 28, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A driver and passenger were arrested Thursday near Cedar City after a Utah Highway Patrol traffic stop led to the discovery of more than five pounds of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.
The trooper was notified of a northbound vehicle of interest with possible traffic violations at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, and saw the vehicle approaching his location on Interstate 15, near mile marker 58. The trooper began following the vehicle, which had Nevada plates, and saw it take an exit without signaling, arrest documents say.
The trooper then saw a small child moving around the vehicle, unrestrained, and spotted a non-functional tail light. The vehicle responded to the officer’s signals to stop, and pulled into a parking lot at 1100 West and 200 North in Cedar City.
Driver Rachel Marie Aponas, 32, and passenger Christopher Ruiz, 40, both reportedly from Las Vegas, were questioned. Asked by the trooper if he could search the vehicle, Aponas reportedly admitted to having a meth pipe in the glove compartment. Post Miranda, Aponas admitted she had smoked methamphetamine the night before.
“I know that due to the recent use she would still have methamphetamine in her system,” the trooper wrote in arrest documents. “I had the driver move to the prisoner transport area of my patrol vehicle with her kids. We performed a probable cause search of the vehicle due to her admission post Miranda Rights that the methamphetamine pipe was in the glove box.
“In the back of the van, we found a cooler locked with a gun lock. We found the key to the lock on the key ring to the van keys. Once the cooler was unlocked, we located just over 5 pounds of fentanyl laced, counterfeit M-30 pills. We located a methamphetamine pipe with a testable amount of methamphetamine in it.”
The driver admitted both she and the passenger had smoked meth with the piple. She denied consent for a blood draw, so a search warrant was served and a sample was collected. The arrest affidavits, which are largely identical, do not say whether Ruiz’s blood was sought or drawn.
The trooper suggested Aponas and Ruiz be held without bail.
“The amount of fentanyl is approximately 24,000 potential lethal doses of fentanyl,” the statements say. “With the seriousness of the charges there is a high potential risk that they will flee the jurisdiction of the courts and not return.”
A judge ordered both be held without bail in the Iron County jail.
Aponas is being held for investigation of:
- Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a second-degree felony
- Two counts of possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Driving with measurable controlled substances, a class B misdemeanor
- Failure to provide child restraint device for child younger than 8, an infraction
- Unsafe vehicle/faulty equipment, an infraction
- Failure to signal for two seconds, an infraction
- Failure to operate within a single lane, an infraction
- Failure to wear seat belt or properly adjust safety belt
Ruiz is being held for investigation of:
- Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a second-degree felony
- Possession of controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
