An Odessa couple was arrested early Tuesday morning after a trooper trying to pull them over for expired tags saw one of them tossing more than 30 grams of methamphetamine out the car window.
According to a Texas Department of Public Safety report, the trooper first noticed the Ford Escape near 16th Street and Moss Avenue, but the driver refused to pull over until they got to the 2100 block of North Hayes Avenue nearly two miles away.
During the slow speed chase, the trooper said he saw the passenger throw out multiple clear baggies and when the car stopped he found a bag of methamphetamine near the driver’s seat along with empty plastic baggies and a scale.
The clear baggies that were thrown were collected and weighed 30.6 grams, the report stated.
The driver of the car, Jose Cruz Hernandez, 56, was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance. He remained in the Ector County jail Wednesday night on a $50,000 surety bond.
The passenger, Jessica Calanche, 40, was arrested on suspicion of tampering with evidence and manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance. She is also facing a possession of a controlled substance charge because the trooper said he found one fentanyl-laced pill in her purse.
She remained in the Ector County jail Wednesday night on surety bonds totaling $70,000.
