BIRDSEYE – Late Wednesday night, February, 4, at approximately 11:12 p.m., Trooper Kayla Denk-Mundy and Trooper Nathan Teusch were patrolling State Road 64 near Birdseye when Trooper Teusch observed a silver 2013 KIA stuck in the snow on a side county road.
Troopers spoke to the driver of the car, who identified herself as Darlene Jacobsen. 48, of Jasper. The passenger was identified as Darrel Harris, 35, of Huntingburg. When other officers arrived, they were able to free the vehicle from the snow. During the interaction, Trooper Denk-Mundy recognized indicators of criminal activity.
Sergeant Clint Gogle with the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office and his K-9 partner arrived to assist Troopers. The K-9 performed an open-air sniff of the vehicle and gave a positive indication of the presence of narcotics.
Due to a positive K-9 alert on the vehicle, officers conducted a search of the area and found a large bag containing approximately 33.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
Jacobsen also displayed signs of impairment. Jacobsen was arrested and transported to Deaconess Memorial Medical Center in Jasper for a chemical test. Jacobsen was then transported to the Dubois County Jail, where she is being held on bond on charges of dealing meth, a Level 2 felony; possession of meth, a Level 3 felony; maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony; operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
Harris was arrested and transported to the Dubois County Jail, where he is also being held on bond on charges of dealing meth, a Level 2 felony; possession of meth, a Level 3 felony; visiting a common nuisance, a Class B misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
The arresting officer was Trooper Kayla Denk-Mundy. Assisting in this incident were Trooper Nathaniel Kern, Trooper Nathan Teusch, and officers from the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent until proven guilty through a fair and due legal process. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
