A passenger involved in a traffic incident ended up being charged with intent to deliver methamphetamine early Wednesday morning.
When a Marshalltown Police officer pulled over Keith Ray, 55, of Boone, for running the blinking red light at the corner of State Street and Third Avenue, the officer ended up discovering a purse full of meth allegedly belonging to Heather Bell, 25, of Marshalltown, said Capt. Mike Hanken, with the Marshalltown Police Department.
Bell had left her purse in the car after police released her from the scene just after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Hanken said. A search of the car turned up the purse, which contained nine grams of meth. The officer then caught up with Bell a few blocks away and arrested her.
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Ray
Police charged Ray with driving while barred, an aggravated misdemeanor, and failure to stop, a simple misdemeanor traffic violation. The MPD charged Bell with possession of meth with intent to deliver, a Class B felony.
Online court records show Bell has two previous drug-related charges. A Class B felony is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
Bell made her initial appearance Wednesday morning. Her bail is set at $100,000 cash or surety. The court appointed a public defender. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Jan. 4.