A late-night traffic stop on Interstate 40 near Ash Fork ended with a Las Vegas mother in handcuffs after Yavapai County deputies say she was driving high on methamphetamine with her three kids in the car. Deputies pulled her over after reportedly watching the vehicle swerve across the roadway. The children, ages 4, 11 and 12, were taken into protective custody while the investigation continued.
The 32-year-old driver caught deputies’ attention again when they say she tried to hide an open beer can under one of the children’s seats, investigators told Arizona’s Family. A police K-9 alerted to the vehicle, and deputies reported finding methamphetamine wrapped in a dollar bill and tucked inside a cigarette pack. According to investigators, the woman allegedly tested positive for meth and also had an outstanding warrant out of Florida.
Deputies booked her on three counts of child abuse and endangerment along with several drug-related charges. The Arizona Department of Child Safety arranged for the children to be placed with their grandmother, as reported by Arizona’s Family.
Yavapai County K-9 Work On The I-40 Corridor
Yavapai County deputies regularly deploy K-9 units along the I-40 corridor that cuts across northern Arizona, and the sheriff’s office has credited those dogs with helping intercept major drug shipments during traffic stops. In February 2025, a YCSO K-9 alerted deputies to a vehicle during a stop near Ash Fork, and officers seized nearly 40 pounds of methamphetamine, according to a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office public release…