Arrest Made After K9 Alerts Police to Drugs in Car
Posted
Chris Tulley-
On Sept. 14, a canine unit alerted an officer about illegal drugs in a car parked at a Center Street hotel. While serving a search warrant for a separate charge at the hotel, Warsaw police officer Paul Heaton recognized the vehicle of Kimberly Richardson. Heaton had previously received information that Richardson, 34, of 208 Kelly St., Winona Lake, had been involved with the subjects of the search warrant, who have since been arrested. According to the probable cause affidavits provided by Kosciusko County prosecutors, Warsaw officer R.J. Nethaway brought his canine in to conduct an exterior search of Richardson’s vehicle. When alerted, police then searched the vehicle. Richardson allegedly had a syringe needle, a cut straw, two digital scales with residue of meth and two illegal drugs, alprazolam and morphine. Richardson did not have valid prescriptions for either the alprazolam or morphine. Richardson faces felony charges of possession of meth, possession of narcotics and dealing schedule I, II, III controlled substance. She was booked with a $30,750 bond in Kosciusko County Jail. The subjects of the warrant, Justin Babendrager, Josey Bickel and Nicole Winstead, were arrested in September and charged with dealing narcotics, 1 to 5 grams, and possession of narcotics.
