The keen eye of law enforcement officers led to the arrest of two suspects following the discovery of a significant amount of illegal drugs and stolen items.
In the morning hours of Friday, July 20, Winslow Police officers Robert Downs and Alejandro Barron noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at Motel 6, located at 520 W. Desmond St, with what appeared to be law enforcement type strobe lights mounted in the center of the windshield. The vehicle, a 2018 Dodge Charger, was traced to a rental car company in Los Angeles, Calif., where the officers obtained the name of the driver, identified as 42-year-old male, David Sevier of Bakersfield, Calif., and conducted a background check that revealed Sevier’s extensive 30-page criminal history.
Officers waited until Sevier left the motel in the car then conducted a traffic stop at North Park Drive and Desmond Avenue utilizing a state law that makes it illegal to mount any object to the center of a windshield. Following the stop officers detected the odor of marijuana and preliminary search of the vehicle revealed small amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine. Following the detention of Sevier and his passenger, 29-year-old Britany Leigh Coursey, officers conducted a more comprehensive search which revealed over one pound of methamphetamine and 1.5 pounds of marijuana contained in vacuum packed bags hidden inside coffee grounds and laundry detergent.
The search also revealed multiple identification cards belonging to people other than the subjects, multiple credit cards in alias and stolen names, 30 to 50 computer hard drives, more that a dozen thumb drives, 10 iPhones, and a 9 mm hand gun.
Both subjects were charged with possession of methamphetamine for sale, transportation of methamphetamine possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of burglary tools. Sevier will also face the additional charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited possessor. Both subjects were booked into the Navajo County Jail.
