A California woman was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office said.
Just after 2:05 p.m. on Monday, a deputy was working the Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) project / initiative along the Indiana Toll Road (I80/90). The deputy was parked in the median near the 48-mile marker monitoring eastbound traffic. A passenger vehicle traveling eastbound in the passing lane caught the attention of the deputy as it began to merge into the driving lane before realizing a commercial motor vehicle was occupying the driving lane. The vehicle remained in the driving lane and passed by the deputy. While doing so, the deputy noticed the front windows of the vehicle were tinted too darkly restricting the ability to see a driver.
The deputy began traveling behind the vehicle, which made an improper lane change when merging from the passing lane into the driving lane in the area of the 50-mile marker. A traffic stop was initiated on the vehicle near the 52-mile marker. The lone female driver was identified as 53-year-old Machelle L. Wooddall of Stockton, California.
As the traffic stop progressed and with an additional DHE deputy present, a LCSO K-9 was deployed around the exterior of the vehicle for a free-air sniff. The K-9 provided a positive alert to the presence of the odor of narcotics within the vehicle. A search of the passenger compartment of the vehicle commenced and a bag of a white crystalline substance was located.
Wooddall was arrested and transported to the La Porte County Jail (LCJ). She was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine. As of Tuesday, Woodall remained housed in the LCJ and was being held on a $20,005 cash-only bond through Circuit Court.