Three Women Arrested On Drug Charges

By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
maire@ladailypost.com 
 

Three women were arrested on drug-related charges early Saturday morning following a traffic stop of a white Cadillac at Smith’s Gas Station on Trinity Drive by Los Alamos Police Sgt. Andrew Goldie.

Goldie was traveling eastbound on Trinity Drive when he observed the vehicle slowing down in front of him, abruptly change lanes and turn onto Knecht Street. His report states that he pulled the car over in the parking lot of the gas station and made contact with Esperanza Bayless, 28, of Grants, who told him she was trying to make contact with a friend of hers, Stephen Montano, who had requested a ride.

Goldie ran Bayless’s driver’s license number and found it was suspended. He notified her that Montano was incarcerated at the Los Alamos Detention Center. Montano and another man, Joel Martin had been arrested Friday night on multiple charges including aggravated assault of a police officer.

Goldie’s report states that he spoke to the passengers in the vehicle, Cherie Trujillo, 26, of Los Alamos, and Haley Schwenk, 18, of Grants. He then asked Trujillo for consent to search the vehicle because the other two women claimed the vehicle belonged to her and she gave permission. Allegedly found on the driver’s seat was a small cloth bag containing a number of needles, foil and spoons. Bayless allegedly admitted to having used the needles to inject heroin and to having used it the previous morning.

Bayless was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on a suspended or revoked license and failure to use turning signals.

In the front passenger seat of the vehicle where Trujillo was sitting, Cpl. Jemuel Montoya allegedly found a cigarette packet containing a glass tube with a burnt black residue. Asked what she used the pipe for, Trujillo said that she smokes methamphetamine out of it. The substance in the pipe was field-tested and determined to be methamphetamine.

Trujillo was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Cpl. Adam Jung asked Schwenk who was sitting in the driver’s rear seat to step out of the car and to bring her wallet with her. Schwenk first gave Jung a false name and told him she did not have any identification because she had never been given one. When he asked her permission to search through her wallet, he found her identification. Schwenk then admitted she lied about her name because she was afraid she might have a warrant.

In the area in which Schwenk was sitting, Jung found a glass pipe with marijuana residue, a plastic container with methamphetamine and a digital scale that contained methamphetamine residue and a small glass pipe with methamphetamine residue.

Trujillo was charged with concealing her identity, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, sell, barter or give away.

All three women had their first appearances Aug. 28 before Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados. Bayless faces a pre-trial hearing Sept.22 and Trujillo and Schwenk are slated for preliminary hearings on the same date.

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