At 8:35 PM on July 25, 2025, Lieutenant Eck responded to a driving complaint about a 2020 GMC Acadia bearing Minnesota license plates SLC400 that was unable to maintain a lane, varying speeds, and almost hitting other vehicles. Lieutenant Eck located the Acadia driving on the right shoulder on Interstate 94. Lieutenant Eck activated his squad’s emergency lights and stopped the Acadia near Lexington Avenue on Interstate 94, St. Paul, Ramsey County. Lieutenant Eck a contact with the driver, the defendant, MARIA DE JESUS ESQUIVEL SANCHEZ [DOB REDACTED]. The defendant’s speech was slurred, her eyes were barely open, her pupils were pinpoint, and she had a very hard time retrieving her identification from her wallet.
Lieutenant Eck believed the defendant was either having a medical condition or impaired by drugs. Lieutenant Eric did not smell any odor of alcohol coming from the defendant. The defendant was removed from the Acadia and had to use it for support as she walked to an ambulance. The defendant’s gait was unsteady, and she had to use the ambulance to support herself. Medics determined the defendant was not having a diabetic issue, and they indicated her symptoms were likely due to impairment. The defendant fared poorly on standard field sobriety tests.
The defendant provided a preliminary breath test sample that registered an alcohol concentration of 0.000. The defendant was arrested. The Acadia was searched incident to tow. Inside the defendant’s purse were multiple prescription pill bottles in her name. One prescription pill bottle contained a white powdery substance and 11 alprazolam pills wrapped in a napkin. Troopers obtained a search warrant to collect a blood or urine sample from the defendant. A registered nurse drew a blood sample from the defendant.
A blood sample obtained from the defendant was submitted to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis. Analysis showed the defendants blood contained both fentanyl and norfentanyl, Schedule II controlled substances. The bag in the pill bottle contained 0.678 grams of fentanyl.
