The sixteen-year-old driver of the vehicle was later identified as Monica Stone of Florence.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Stone exhibited signs of drug impairment. After she showed additional clues of drug impairment during field sobriety tests, she was arrested for driving while impaired by drugs.
The deputy asked the passenger in the vehicle, who was later identified as Lawrence Johnson, age 20, of Mesa, to exit the vehicle. Lawrence refused and locked himself inside of the vehicle. He repeatedly refused to exit the vehicle and began to yell, “You need a search warrant” and “You can’t arrest me without my lawyer’s permission.”
The deputy was able to get the door open and attempted to remove Lawrence from the vehicle, but he resisted and continued to struggle with the deputy. The deputy, while trying to arrest Lawrence for disobeying a lawful order, attempted to use his Taser, but it was unsuccessful. Another deputy arrived on scene to assist, but Lawrence still fought. He tried to get free but eventually, he was taken into custody.
A K-9 unit responded, and the dog immediately alerted inside of the vehicle to the presence of drugs. Inside of the vehicle, deputies found marijuana and 25 Oxycodone pills. The Oxycodone was in a pill bottle, which showed when it was filled, that the bottle contained 180 pills.
During the investigation, deputies were able to determine that Monica and Lawrence are boyfriend and girlfriend. Earlier that evening, the two of them sold 155 prescription Oxycodone pills for $1,100. Lawrence was also in possession of a fake medical marijuana card.
The drugs, vehicle and $1,100 were seized, and paperwork will be completed requesting the vehicle and money to be forfeited.
Lawrence Johnson was booked into the Pinal County Jail for Involving a Minor in a Drug Offense, Failure to Obey a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Possession of a Narcotic Drug for Sale and Possession of Marijuana for Sale.
Monica Stone was released to a family member, and a juvenile referral will be completed requesting she be charged with Driving Impaired by a Drug, Driving with an Illegal Drug in her System and other drug related offenses.
Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “The Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force is out every holiday and on weekends making sure our roadways are safe. Those who drive impaired by alcohol or drugs, there is a good chance they will be stopped by one of our motor deputies. If they’re lucky, they will be arrested before they injure themselves or somebody else in a crash. Please help keep our roadways safe and don’t drive impaired.”