Cortez police arrested a man and woman on charges including drug trafficking after finding bags of illegal substances in their vehicle on Dec. 27.
Officer Kristin Cannon pulled over a white Cadillac after receiving reports from dispatch that the vehicle had been driving recklessly and passing multiple cars on the right side of the roadway.
Officer Cannon followed the vehicle as it drove eastbound on Rivera Street, turned north on Sligo Street and east onto East Empire Street.
“I observed the vehicle had turned northbound onto North Henry Street, which meant it was just driving back to the area from where it came, which was suspicious,” officer Cannon said.
She also noted that the car had severe damage to the driver’s side door and windshield.
According to Cannon’s incident report, the car appeared to evade her, making sharp turns and barely stopping at stop signs. She pulled the car over near North Sligo Street and East Montezuma Avenue.
When Cannon asked the driver, identified as Robert Lawrence Cross, where he and his passenger were heading, he said they had driven from Durango to meet a friend. However, he could not provide an address for the friend.
Cross reportedly told Cannon that his driver’s license was revoked and he was required to have an interlock device. He also didn’t have insurance for the vehicle, saying that he had recently bought the vehicle. He showed officer Cannon a handwritten bill of sale with the VIN number.
However, records revealed that the VIN number belonged to a vehicle that had been reported stolen.
Dispatch also informed Cannon that Cross had an active warrant for his arrest, a Department of Corrections extradition warrant for dangerous drugs.
The’ passenger told Cannon that her name was Valentina Silver, but Cannon said she suspected it was a false name because she hesitated before answering.
A photo sent from dispatch confirmed that the name was false and she later told police her name was Corinthia Morningstar Begay. She had three warrants out for her arrest in San Miguel County.
Both Cross and Begay were arrested. While arresting Cross, Sgt. Glenn Edwards found a glass pipe containing a burned substance that appeared to be meth, the police report said. Later at the hospital, Begay was found to have a small baggie of a powdered substance hidden on her person.
Police also reported finding baggies containing substances that appeared to be meth, illegal narcotics and a syringe loaded with what police identified as heroin.
A new cellphone was also found under the front seat, along with baggies.
In the trunk, police found a BB gun modified to look like a real firearm and a “large knife in a scabbard.” The air filter had been removed from the car and was in the trunk.
“I opened the hood of the vehicle and observed the screws to the air box had been heavily damaged from being opened and closed many times, which is indicative of drug or weapons trafficking,” Cannon said.
Weighed at the police station, the narcotics came in at the prepackaged weight of 58.1 grams of meth and 2.9 grams of cocaine. The 11 small bags of meth weighed 0.6 to 0.8 grams each.
The total weight of the drugs was about 62 grams.
Begay told police she had consumed 10 fentanyl pills before being pulled over, but her blood tested positive for cocaine and meth at the hospital.
At the Montezuma County Detention Center, Cross was served a felony slip on suspicion of failure to signal, vehicle not equipped with taillamps, license restricted for express consent, failure to present proof of insurance, aggravated motor vehicle theft, unlawful distribution of controlled substances, unlawful possession of controlled substances, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and special offender.
Begay was held with a felony hold slip for suspicion of aggravated motor vehicle theft, unlawful distribution of controlled substances, unlawful possession of controlled substances, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, the introduction of contraband in the second degree, criminal impersonation, special offender and false reporting.
Cross and Begay both have extensive criminal histories involving theft, assault and DUI.
Begay is set to appear in the Montezuma County District Court for her return filing of charges on Jan. 9 at 9:30 a.m. Cross will appear Jan. 11 at 1:30 p.m.
