3 Southern Utahns arrested in Mesquite for allegedly trafficking heroin, meth
ST. GEORGE — Police have arrested three Southern Utahns – two of whom were arrested in 2016 in connection with a Cedar City murder – for their alleged involvement in trafficking and selling heroin and crystal meth in Mesquite, Nevada.
Mesquite Police narcotics detectives were able to close an ongoing drug investigation by taking four suspects, including three women and a man, into custody Wednesday morning, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the Mesquite Police Department.
The suspects allegedly had been trafficking and selling heroin and crystal meth in the area over the last several months, according to the statement.
After taking the suspects into custody, detectives served a search warrant on a hotel room occupied by the suspects along with their vehicle, police said, adding:
Inside both the hotel room and vehicle, detectives seized more illegal drugs and multiple items of drug paraphernalia.
Michelle Partridge, 46, of Panguitch, was arrested and charged with three felony counts of selling a controlled substance (heroin); one felony count of selling a controlled substance (meth); three felony counts of conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act; two felony counts of trafficking a controlled substance (meth); one felony count of possession of a controlled substance (meth); 84 felony counts of possession of a schedule IV controlled substance; and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Elcha Hatch, 20, of Panguitch, was arrested and charged with one felony count of selling a controlled substance (meth); one felony count of possession to sell a controlled substance (meth); one felony count of possession to sell a controlled substance (heroin); one felony count of conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act; and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Brian Hughes, of Panguitch, was arrested and charged with two felony counts of attempted sell of a controlled substance (meth).
Veronica Molina, 30, of Beaver Dam, Arizona, was arrested and charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance (heroin) and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Molina was also arrested on an active felony arrest warrant.
Due to the felony charges, all four suspects were transported and booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Partridge and Hatch both have criminal records, according to court documents.
The mother and daughter duo was charged in July 2016 in connection with the murder of 34-year-old Cedar City resident Justin Hanna.
Partridge and Hatch were arrested on second-degree felony warrants for obstruction of justice after they allegedly helped the suspect in the fatal shooting, Mark Mair, flee the area, according to Cedar City Police.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Email: kscott@stgnews.com
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.