By Travis Uresk
8/8/24
| Vernal, Ut. | August 3rd, 2024 |
At 10:53 am, a deputy at the Uintah County Jail was taking 35-year-old Inmate Angelica Nicole Mendoza-Reyes to Ashley Regional Medical Center for medical transport for an ultrasound.
When Deputy Brown was helping Inmate Reyes change her clothes, a small blue plastic bag fell out of her pants. The deputy picked up the baggie, which appeared to have a powdery white substance inside.
Deputy Brown took the baggie to Deputy Anderson, who was assisting with the transport, who stated to wrap the baggie in a rubber glove to be taken back to the Uintah County Jail for further examination.
Due to discovering what appeared to be illegal narcotics falling from Inmate Reyes's clothing, Deputy Brown thoroughly searched the pants Inmate Reyes had taken off. While examining the pants, the deputy noticed a rolled-up twenty-dollar bill sticking out of the left front pocket. A closer examination showed Inmate Reyes had holes cut into the inside waistband and the zipper area of her Jeans.
Upon returning to the jail after the transport, Deputy Anderson advised Inmate Reyes of her rights per Miranda, to which she consented to answer questions. Deputy Anderson conducted an interview under Miranda where Inmate Reyes indicated she believed the substance inside of the baggie that was found inside of her pants at the hospital was methamphetamine.
Inmate Reyes stated the baggie was not hers, and she would've known whether it was in her pants. She told Deputy Anderson that he needed to watch the camera footage, and everyone would see that it did not fall out of her pants.
Deputy Alex Thompson, Deputy Anderson, and Deputy Brown conducted a field test on the $20.00 bill and the baggie containing the white powdery substance. When field testing the substance in the baggie, the field test results came back positive for methamphetamine and Fentanyl on both items.
After interviewing Inmate Reyes, the deputies reviewed surveillance videos of when Inmate Reyes was brought into the Uintah County Jail and secured into Detox 2 cell with other inmates.
While reviewing jail camera footage, Inmate Reyes is seen using and sharing the drug with another inmate. Inmate Reyes accomplished this by removing the above-mentioned items from her person and allowing another inmate to ingest the illegal narcotics by the toilet inside of the Detox 2 cell. Inmate Reyes was also seen ingesting the illegal narcotic by the toilet inside the Detox 2 cell.
After reviewing the jail camera footage, Deputy Simmons and Deputy Brown interviewed the inmate housed in the same cell as Inmate Reyes. Under Miranda, the inmate stated Inmate Reyes was aware the baggie contained Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. The inmate also stated on the morning of 08/03/2024, Inmate Reyes asked her if she would do a line with her.
Inmate Reyes has admitted to distributing illegal narcotics to the public in an unrelated case. Inmate Reyes has recent pending charges in the state of Nevada for possession of several hundred fentanyl pills. During her intake into Uintah County Jail, when patted down, Deputy Brown asked Inmate Reyes if she had any illegal narcotics or contraband on her person, and she answered no. Due to Inmate Reyes's conduct, she had knowledge she was in possession of illegal narcotics and contraband.
Inmate Reyes has also hindered other inmates in their recovery from using illegal narcotics due to her actions in offering them to another inmate and placing them at a higher risk of overdosing or inducing a medical event. Inmate Reyes's actions also show no care or regard for the general public at the hospital, the nursing staff at the hospital, or the jail staff who have transported her by likely exposing them to a highly deadly drug known as Fentanyl in powder form.
Based on the affirmation of Deputy Brown, the arresting officer, the undersigned magistrate finds that probable cause existed for the arrest without a warrant of Angelica Nicole Mendoza Reyes. The current offense is a felony.
The court finds substantial evidence to support the charge and finds by clear and convincing evidence that Angelica Nicole Mendoza-Reyes would constitute a substantial danger to any other individual or to the community or is likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court if released on bail.
Therefore, the court orders that Angelica Nicole Mendoza-Reyes is to be held without bail.
Inmate Angelica Reyes added her stay at the jail by adding these charges:
Use Or Possession Of A Controlled Substance In A Correctional Facility - Felony 2: For possessing on her person a baggie containing methamphetamine. This charge is enhanced one degree higher due to possessing the controlled substance while housed as an inmate inside of the correctional facility, as well as six prior convictions within two years, the last conviction on 06/25/2024 being a Felony 3.
Use Or Possession Of A Controlled Substance In A Correctional Facility - Felony 2: For possessing on her person a baggie containing Fentanyl. This charge is enhanced one degree higher due to possessing the controlled substance while housed as an inmate inside of the correctional facility, as well as six prior convictions within two years, the last conviction on 06/25/2024 being a Felony 3.
Use Or Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia: Class B Misdemeanor - For knowingly possessing the twenty dollar bill used to ingest the controlled substance and the baggy, which was found to have contained the controlled substance inside.
Possession With Intent To Distribute Illegal Narcotics - Felony 1: For knowingly providing a Schedule I illegal narcotic to another inmate while housed inside of a correctional facility, which is a drug-free zone and enhances the level of charge by one degree.
All the articles that come from 1nationjustice.com are from the affidavits & probable cause reports that the officers write. If you would like you can get a copy of the report from the website below. It does cost money to open every document you want to read. You can also look up any case in the state of Utah from this site.
Comments