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Misty Cooper of Lexington remains a suspect in a meth bust in Wilmore. (Jessamine County Dentetion Center / October 2, 2012) |
One suspect remains at large after a late-night traffic stop last Wednesday in Wilmore uncovered a mobile meth lab.
According to Wilmore police Misty Cooper of Lexington was the passenger in a red Nissan Stanza driving along North Lexington Avenue the night of Sept. 26 when Wilmore police officer Jeff Bol attempted to make a routine traffic stop.
The Stanza pulled into the driveway of 507 N. Lexington Ave. and parked behind the residence. Bol said the car was occupied by a white male driver, a white female passenger and a pit-bull-mix dog.
When the vehicle came to a halt, the female driver fled on foot, Bol said. The driver also exited the vehicle but was quickly apprehended by Bol.
The driver was identified as James A. Callahan, 39, of 5349 Kiddville Road, Lexington, and was initially arrested and charged for an outstanding Fayette County Circuit Court warrant.
Jessamine County Constable Chauncey Tudor assisted by transporting Callahan and executing the warrant at the Jessamine County Dentition Center, where Callahan was interviewed by officers. Callahan identified Cooper, 40, as the female who fled the scene. Cooper has several drug-related warrants out of Fayette County, Jailer Jon Sallee confirmed.
Callahan was later charged on a set of new charges after a total of five mobile one-step crystal meth labs, four inactive and one active, were located in the vehicle he was driving.
According to police documents, the car is registered to James Bolton, 310 W. Chestnut St., Nicholasville. Bolton has not been charged with any offenses.
Officers searched the area for Cooper that night but were unable to locate her, and Bol said he plans to charge her with fleeing and evading as well as the same narcotics charges charged against Callahan including unlawful possession of meth, manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
After the pit-bull mix in the vehicle was removed by Jessamine County Animal Control, Bol used another drug-sniffing dog to walk around the Stanza.
The dog was alerted near the rear passenger side door, police reports state, which initiated officers' search of the vehicle.
Two purses were located in the back seat, one containing a piece of aluminum foil that allegedly contained meth.
Several syringes were also found in both purses, according to the Wilmore police report.
While searching the trunk, a large Gatorade bottle was found with a white granular substance and liquid inside. A small cooler was found with smaller Gatorade bottles with what appeared to be the same substances in them. Officers also noted several packets of pseudoephedrine in a backpack. At this point, Wilmore police called in Kentucky State Police, who confirmed there were several one-step meth labs in the car.
The state trooper located additional precursors, as well as several pieces of drug paraphernalia, associated with the manufacturing of meth. The trooper disposed of all the one-step labs as well as the components located and collected samples for evidentiary purposes.
Officer Bol took possession of the samples and transported them to Frankfort later that day.
Callahan was due in court this week, and police continue the search for Cooper.
