ST. GEORGE — A woman who was arrested on drug distribution charges and later indicted in federal court was released to a treatment center while she awaited trial. She is now back in jail on a federal hold following a recent traffic stop on Bluff Street.
The state case was filed following an incident on March 7, when officers responded to what was initially reported as some type of altercation in the parking lot of a home improvement store on South River Road in St. George.
Upon arrival, police found a woman throwing trash out of a Nissan passenger car onto the ground, according to charging documents filed at the time of the arrest.
The car matched the description of the vehicle described by the 911 caller and was registered to a Colorado woman, 32-year-old Natalie Vera, who reportedly told officers she had been arguing with her partner, Roberto Olivas, who had gone back into the store following the altercation.
During the encounter, officers say they noticed a “plentiful amount of drug paraphernalia” on the front seat of the car and two children sitting in the back seat.
At that point, Vera was detained, and officers contacted the Division of Child and Family Services to assist in the care of the children.
Authorities say Vera appeared lethargic and showed other signs of possible impairment. During a search of her person, officers found a plastic bag that contained suspected fentanyl pills, along with several loose pills in her jacket pocket.
During a search of her vehicle, officers found several plastic baggies containing hundreds of blue pills matching the ones that were found on Vera. When asked, Vera reportedly told officers she had recently returned from a trip to Tijuana, Mexico, where she said she purchased the pills and had given some to the two men with whom she was traveling, one of them being her partner, Olivas. Both men were later located and arrested by police.
Officers also recovered drug paraphernalia and pill bottles from the vehicle.
Vera was arrested and booked into jail on two second-degree drug distribution charges, along with two felony counts of child endangerment charges, for reportedly having drugs and paraphernalia within arms reach of children. She was also charged with several misdemeanor counts of drug possession and littering.
On April 9, Vera, who was still in custody in Washington County, was indicted in federal court on one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Two days later, the state charges were dismissed.
Vera remained in federal custody in Washington County until June 3, when U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler ordered the defendant to be released “to a treatment provider from Hope Rising ONLY,” according to the order filed with the court.
The defendant entered residential treatment while the federal case continued through the courts.
Six weeks later, Vera was stopped on Bluff Street in St. George during the early morning hours of July 23 after an officer said he noticed a vehicle swerving all over the roadway. While speaking to the driver, Vera, police say they noticed signs of possible stimulant use, as well as a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car.
A field sobriety test was conducted, which “ the driver performed poorly on,” the officer noted in charging documents. Vera was arrested and transported to jail in Washington County.
During a subsequent search of the motel room where Vera was staying, officers say they found a plastic bag containing suspected fentanyl pills, along with pipes and other drug paraphernalia.
Vera was later charged with misdemeanor drug possession and paraphernalia charges, as well as DUI. That case is still open in the courts.
On Monday, a revocation hearing was scheduled in the federal case to determine whether Vera’s pretrial release should be revoked. Until then, Vera remains in custody on a federal hold.
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