(Spencer)– A traffic stop Saturday night in Clay county resulted in the arrests of two people and the execution of two search warrants in neighboring Palo Alto county.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy stopped a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Sheila Marie Sundall around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. A deputy could smell anhydrous ammonia as he approached the vehicle. Sundall and a passenger, 61-year-old Donald Gregory Leonard of West Bend were removed from the vehicle and placed downwind as a precaution.
Upon further investigation, a deputy found a cylinder with a homemade valve containing over two gallons of anhydrous ammonia under the back seat of the vehicle. A Haz-Mat Team and Spencer firefighters removed the tank and ventilated the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle further, authorities found numerous items used in the manufacture of meth, including Sudafed pills, lithium batteries, coffee filters and plastic containers and mixing tools, along with more than four thousand dollars in cash.
Sundall was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated…first offense; possession of meth with intent to manufacture…a class “C” felony; possession of marijuana…a serious misdemeanor; possession of precursors…a class “D” felony; transporting anhydrous ammonia…a serious misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia…a simple misdemeanor. she was booked into the Clay county jail on bond of 110,265-dollars.
Leonard was also arrested and charged with possession of meth with intent to manufacture…a class “C” felony; possession of marijuana…a serious misdemeanor; possession of precursors…a class “D” felony; transporting and possession of anhydrous ammonia…a serious misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia…a simple misdemeanor. He was booked into the Clay county jail on bond of 100,425-dollars.
The traffic stop also resulted in search warrants being executed Sunday on residences at 3143 450th Avenue north of Emmetsburg where items were seized and sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory for testing. Items were also seized at 5237 460th Street northwest of West Bend. That search turned up items used in the manufacturing of meth and drug paraphernalia. Those items were also sent to the DCI Crime Lab for analyzing.
Deputies from the Pocahontas and Emmet County Sheriff’s Offices assisted in the searches.
