BEDFORD — A late-night traffic stop on State Road 37 led to the arrest of a Bedford woman on Tuesday, January 9th after a police canine alerted officers to a variety of illegal narcotics and prescription pills inside the vehicle.
Deborah S. Pridemore, 56, was taken into custody on multiple drug-related charges after Bedford Police officers discovered methamphetamine and various controlled substances in her possession.
At approximately 11:44 p.m. on January 6, 2026, Officer Clay Blackburn was patrolling near the intersection of State Road 37 and 16th Street when he observed a purple Dodge Dakota traveling with no illuminated license plate lights.
Officer Blackburn initiated a traffic stop and first identified the male driver, then the passenger, who was Pridemore. According to the probable cause affidavit, both occupants informed the officer that the vehicle did not belong to them.
While Officer Blackburn processed the traffic warning, Officer Bell arrived at the scene with his K9 partner, Castiel. The K9 conducted a “free air sniff” around the exterior of the truck and alerted officers to the scent of narcotics coming from inside the vehicle.
A subsequent search of the vehicle focused on a purse belonging to Pridemore, located on the passenger side. Inside the purse, officers reportedly seized an extensive collection of contraband, including three cut straws containing meth residue, a blue pill crusher containing white powder and two pills identified as Oxycodone and Clonazepam, a glass vial containing Cyclobenzaprine and Varenicline, both which require a prescription under Indiana law and a clear plastic baggy containing yellow edible gummies and a rubber container with a partial red gummy.
After being read her Miranda rights, Pridemore allegedly denied using methamphetamine but admitted to officers that the pills in the crusher were Oxycodone and that she did not have a valid prescription for them.
Pridemore was transported to the Lawrence County Jail on the following preliminary charges of possession of meth, possession of a legend drug, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The male driver was issued a written warning for the equipment violation and was released from the scene with the vehicle.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
