A routine traffic stop on Friday, Nov. 8, resulted in an Austin man and wife being jailed on a variety of drug charges.
Austin Police office Josh Vires reported that while on patrol on State Road 256 near 7th St., he observed a vehicle whose license plate returned to a suspended driver. Activating his emergency lights the driver, later identified as Daniel Watson, 40, of Rural Street in Austin, pulled into the Huck’s station and parked on the east side of the building.
When APD officer Gene Hodge and his canine partner, Whiskey arrived to assist the dog did a walk around the Watson vehicle and gave a positive indication for drugs.
Watson and his passenger, Vanessa Watson, 35, were asked to exit the vehicle while officers conducted a search of the vehicle.
APD authorities located a white & red straw with a white powdery residue that tested positive for methamphetamine.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the driver told police “he doesn’t know why that would be in his vehicle.”
Police searched a black purse and uncovered a bill bottle labeled as Zanax and prescribed to a Linda Watson. Inside the pill bottle officers found five blue oval pills identified as Alprazolam, a Schedule 4 controlled substance, and a white oval pill identified as Hydrocodone a Schedule 2 controlled substance, according to the court probable cause document.
Continuing their search officer located a black box containing several small plastic bags along with a small bag containing what later was determined to be methamphetamine.
The Watsons were transported to Scott County Jail where Daniel was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a common nuisance while Vanessa was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substance, and visiting a common nuisance.
At their court appearance, Scott Circuit Court Judge Jason Mount set each bond at $15,000.