- Christopher Ruiz and Rachel Aponas were arrested in 2023 during a traffic stop in Iron County.
- Approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills were found in their minivan where three children were present.
- Ruiz received a 92-month prison sentence for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.
ST. GEORGE — A man who was arrested for possessing fentanyl while children were in the vehicle with him was sentenced last month to more than 7.5 years in prison.
Christopher Gerard Ruiz, 43, and Rachel Marie Aponas, 35, of Las Vegas, were arrested in October 2023 during a traffic stop in Iron County.
The two were traveling on I-15 when Aponas made a lane change without using a turn signal, according to a police booking affidavit. The Utah Highway Patrol trooper who noticed this also observed one of the children moving around in the backseat and “she clearly did not have a seat belt fastened.”…