More than $430K in drugs found stuffed in car speaker in St. George

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Washington City Police said their officers found hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of illegal drugs packed into a speaker box during a traffic stop.

A probable cause statement said Washington City police stopped a car on I-15 because one of their brake lights was out and their license plate was partially covered. 

The driver told police he did not have a driver’s license, instead he handed over his cell phone with a photo of his California ID card. He was identified as 30-year-old Jose Mateo.

Washington City Police officer noticed two women sleeping in the car as well.

In the front seat was 35-year-old Patricia Karley Moreno, and in the rear seat was 36-year-old Rozanna Hernandez. According to St. George News, Hernandez, Moreno, and Mateo are from Riverside County, California. 

The officer discovered Mateo had an active warrant for his arrest. He then deployed his K-9, and the animal indicated the possible presence of narcotics. 

Following, police searched the vehicle and didn’t find anything illegal but found a large speaker box in the truck. The screws on the box looked like they’d been removed and put back on multiple times. Upon opening the speaker, police said they found two pounds of fentanyl, two pounds of Heroin, and two pounds of cocaine.

Overall, more than $430,000 in narcotics were seized from the car. 

All three suspects are in the Purgatory Correctional Facility facing multiple felony counts, right outside of St George. 

Related Stories:

• This is why prescription drugs cost so much
• Auditors say homeless resource centers are safer than before, but drugs still finding their way inside
• Expert: Lack of oxygen killed George Floyd, not drugs