A pair is in Weld County Jail after police say they found more than 12 grams of methamphetamine — and a half-gram cocaine — split into several bags during a traffic stop in Evans.
Police arrested 53-year-old Reynaldo Ramos and 31-year-old Noelle Gomez for intent to distribute meth and attempt to influence a public servant after both originally gave police false names, according to affidavits for their arrests. A third person — Anthony Ortiz — also gave police a false name but was released before police realized he had a warrant out for his arrest.
Just before 10:30 a.m., police noticed a suspicious vehicle on 11th Avenue in Evans. Police say they ran the license plate and it showed the van was last registered in 2021, but the tags on the plate said the registration was valid through March 2024.
Police initiated the stop in the 2900 block of 11th Avenue, but say the van drove past several exits before pulling into a liquor store just north of U.S. Highway 34. Police say it looked as if the people in the van were trying to conceal items before pulling over.
When police asked Ramos — who was driving — what took so long to pull over, he told them he just wanted to get a better spot.
Ramos originally told police his name was Rogelio, but while reviewing a case associated with the van, they noticed a man named Reynaldo Ramos was involved, according to the affidavit. Ramos matched the man they had pulled over and he was driving under restraint.
While searching Ramos, police say they found a clear plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance and a plastic grocery bag containing a white powder.
The white crystalline substance later tested presumptive positive for meth and weighed 0.6 ounces. The white powder tested presumptive positive for cocaine and also weighed 0.6 ounces, according to the affidavit.
Police then contacted the passenger, who identified himself as Anthony William. They say he consented to a fingerprint scan, and police say his print originally didn’t come back as anything and he was allowed to leave.
Police later learned his real name was Anthony Ortiz and he had a warrant out for his arrest, according to the affidavit.
Gomez — who was in the back seat — identified herself to police as Michelle Vigil, but police reviewed a known photograph of Vigil and say it didn’t match the woman in the van. When confronted about it, she admitted her real name and told police she lied because she had active warrants for her arrest. She had three warrants out — one for drug charges, one for burglary and one for aggravated motor vehicle theft, according to Colorado court records.
While searching Gomez, police say they found three more plastic bags containing meth in her jacket pocket. Two weighed 1.2 grams each and the other weighed 1.7 grams, according to the affidavit.
She told police she had more meth in her bra and police say they found two additional bags containing 1.3 grams and 2.8 grams, respectively.
All together, Gomez had 8.2 grams of meth on her, according to the affidavit.
After police detained both Ramos and Gomez, they searched the car. In the backseat, they say found another two bags, each containing 1.4 grams of meth.
Inside the glove compartment, police found two empty bags with white residue and another bag containing a half-gram of meth, according to the affidavit. In between the driver and passenger seat, police say they also found a large scale with white residue.
Both Gomez and Ramos chose to speak with police after the incident.
Gomez told police she didn’t know how much meth she had hidden in her bra, and that it wasn’t hers and she was just holding it for someone, according to the affidavit. She would not tell police who she was holding it for.
She also told police it took them so long to stop because she had warrants and they were trying to figure out what to do. She said Ramos “had a ton of shit,’ and when asked what she meant, she just said “clear,” which is a slang term for meth according to the affidavit.
She said Ramos handed her the meth because her plan was to tell police that she was her sister, Michelle.
Ramos again told police it just took him so long to pull over because he was looking for a better spot.
He said the meth in his pocket belonged to him, but he wasn’t sure about the rest, according to the affidavit. He added that he was “broke,” and doesn’t have any money to buy meth, so he just gets small amounts when he gives people rides.
