Pair charged with possession after deputy, K9 find cocaine during traffic stop in Lake County
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (CBS) — A man and a woman were charged after authorities, along with a K9 officer, found cocaine inside their vehicle during a traffic stop Wednesday evening in Lake County.
Melissa M. Coquillard, 33, of Hampshire, and Martin Gonzalez, 36, of South Elgin, were both charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Coquillard received an additional charge for speeding.
Just before 6:30 p.m., members of the Lake County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Group conducted a traffic stop near I-94 and Route 22 near Lincolnshire.
During the stop, Deputy Dwight Arrowood and his K9 partner, Duke, assisted. After conducting a 'free-air sniff' around the vehicle's exterior, Duke was alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle resulted in the finding of over half a kilogram, 578.5 grams, of powder cocaine.
The driver, Coquillard, and the passenger, Gonzalez, were arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail.
The Lake County State's Attorney's Office filed petitions to detain Gonzalez and Coquillard while they await trial. Both are due at a detention hearing on Friday afternoon.
