BEDFORD — A traffic stop initiated to execute an existing arrest warrant for a narcotics violation resulted in a Salem woman facing new drug charges after a police K9 alerted to the presence of illegal substances in her vehicle.
Sarah Elizabeth Pickens, 41, of Salem, was arrested on September 30th by the Bedford Police Department and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Michael Bell, he was on patrol near the intersection of 10th Street and Lincoln Avenue when he spotted an older model white vehicle that he knew was frequently driven by Sarah Pickens.
After confirming that Pickens had an active arrest warrant out of Lawrence County, Officer Bell located the vehicle turning into the CVS parking lot. He pulled alongside and observed Pickens exiting the driver’s seat, accompanied by a male passenger.
Officer Bell informed Pickens of the warrant, and she was subsequently placed in handcuffs by Officer Bower.
Knowing the original warrant was related to narcotics, Officer Bell sought consent to search the vehicle. Pickens denied consent, stating the car belonged to her boyfriend. Officer Bell informed her that her possession of the vehicle gave her the right to provide consent, but she continued to refuse.
Officer Bell then announced his intent to utilize his K9 partner, Castiel, to conduct a free-air sniff of the vehicle. When given this information, Pickens admitted that there was a container with “residue” inside the car. Castiel was deployed and performed the free-air sniff, providing a primary alert to the odor of narcotics by sitting at the driver’s door, establishing probable cause for a full search of the vehicle.
The subsequent search focused on the driver’s area. Located inside a brown purse on the driver’s seat, officers discovered a clear plastic bag containing a crystal meth and a multi-colored rubber container also containing a crystal-like substance, along with Pickens’ identification.
Pickens was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for housing on the new charge of possession of methamphetamine, in addition to her pre-existing warrant for a probation violation. The male passenger was released from the scene and took possession of the vehicle.
