Police arrest three for fentanyl possession
Local authorities have arrested three people in recent days for possession of fentanyl, a dangerous drug believed responsible for the deaths of at least 18 young people in Wichita Falls in 2022.
More:Police, DA declare war on killer drug fentanyl
Two arrests occurred when a Wichita County deputy stopped a vehicle Monday night near the intersection of Scott Avenue and Galveston Street. The deputy wrote in a probable cause affidavit that the man driving the car admitted having drugs in the vehicle.
A search produced marijuana, marijuana derivatives, cocaine, methamphetamine, and pills identified as fentanyl.
The driver and passenger, Robert James and Jennifer Saffel, were arrested. James total bail on his possession charges was $22,500 and Saffel's total bail was set at $7,500 on her possession charges. Both remained in the Wichita County Jail as of Thursday morning.
More:Police continue fentanyl crackdown with arrest
Then on Tuesday a deputy with a drug dog searched a vehicle stopped in the 1500 block of 32nd Street.
More:First suspect jailed in fentanyl-related death
A field test of substances found in the car was positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine. The driver, Laura Katheryn Benson, was charged with possession. Her total bail was set at $12,500 and she remained in the Wichita County Jail as of Thursday morning.
More:Two people charged in local fentanyl death
Local authorities have cracked down on incidents involving fentanyl because users can often die as the result of taking a single counterfeit pill mislabeled as a legitimate medication.
Three young people died just this past weekend in cases linked to fentanyl.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Police arrest three for fentanyl possession
