A Pennsylvania traffic stop that began because the registered owner of a Ford Focus was wanted quickly gave officers more than they bargained for. Wilkes-Barre Township Police say three of the four people inside the vehicle turned out to have active arrest warrants.
Police stopped the black Ford Focus on Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard at approximately 4:22 p.m. on September 21. Officers ultimately arrested Justin Mattson, Cassandra Holmberg and Alexandra Sainte during the encounter.
Sainte initially gave officers a false name, according to police. That did not last, as officers positively identified her and discovered she had multiple active warrants for retail theft.
The traffic stop also led officers to search the vehicle. Police say that search uncovered drug paraphernalia and narcotics packaging, adding another element to a stop that had already resulted in three people being identified as wanted.
Woman Gives Police a Different Name Before Officers Identify Her
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Police did not specify what name Sainte initially provided to officers or explain how they ultimately confirmed her identity. Once identified, however, officers discovered the multiple retail theft warrants associated with her.
Sainte was subsequently charged with false identification to law enforcement, possession of narcotics, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the department. Police did not identify the suspected narcotics or provide information about the quantity recovered.
Mattson was also charged with possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. The department’s release did not announce any new charges against Holmberg, only stating that she was among the three people arrested during the traffic stop.
Some Had Active Warrants
The initial reason for the stop was itself connected to an outstanding warrant, with police saying the Ford’s registered owner had been reported as wanted. By the time officers checked the occupants, three of the four people inside were found to have active arrest warrants.
Police did not identify which specific warrant prompted the initial stop or provide details about the warrants associated with Mattson and Holmberg. Sainte’s warrants were the only ones described in the department’s announcement, with police identifying them as being for retail theft.
The department also did not provide bond information, court dates, or additional custody details for the three people arrested. What began as a stop involving one reported warrant ultimately left officers dealing with three wanted occupants, a false name, and suspected narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
Guessing Headlights was unable to locate public records for this case on the Luzerne County Correctional Facility Inmate Lookup tool. We reached out via email to obtain this information.
As always, this is an arrest, not a conviction, and all suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.