On January 16, 2025, at approximately 1:46 A.M., Austin Police Department Officer Ryan McCormack was on patrol westbound on Oakland Ave W, Austin, Mower County, MN, when he observed a vehicle stopped at a stop sign. He observed the vehicle to be driven by a female. A check of the plates revealed that it was registered to a female and that her driving privileges were cancelled. McCormack had dispatch send the DL photo, which appeared to match the person he had observed in his headlights. McCormack stopped the vehicle on the Oakland Ave ramp to I-90 west.
McCormack approached the vehicle and confirmed that the driver was the sole occupant and that she matched the photo. He immediately observed two pieces of suspected drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle in plain view. One was a small piece of pink straw or hollow tube in the front passenger door handle and the other was a dirty q-tip on the front passenger floorboard. The driver inquired why she was being pulled over and McCormack asked if she was Amy. She indicated that she was Amy (Amy Marie Gomez, DOB/101490, hereinafter the defendant). McCormack told her that he license was cancelled and she provided a long explanation of how she had been cancelled but paid her fines and should no longer be cancelled.
She was unable to provide any proof to support her claim. She was also unable to provide any proof of insurance. While McCormack was speaking to the defendant he noted that she had dilated pupils, droopy eyelids and rapid, slurred speech. McCormack asked her when she had last used a controlled substance and she indicated it had been awhile. McCormack asked how long and she indicate about a week or so. McCormack asked if it was meth and she said it was. The defendant stated that she "had been doing so good for so long, but." She stated the pink tube was not hers and the dirty q-tip was from cleaning her vape pen tip.
McCormack pointed out the visible clues of her being under the influence and she stated she was nervous and offered to have someone come and driver her. McCormack discussed when she last slept and she indicated that she had slept the other day for two days straight and the previous night, as well. She stated she was trying to wean off of things so she had been drinking a lot of coffee. She stated she was trying to work herself into going to treatment. She said she was recently in prison for 7 months for drug possession because she got framed by her child's father.
McCormack asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and he noticed the defendant's behavior and mood changed almost immediately. She replied, "no, not that I know of," stating that not everything in the vehicle was hers. McCormack asked if there was potential there was something illegal in there and the defendant stated there could be but she was not sure. The defendant then asked McCormack why he needed to search the vehicle, without him ever asking to search it or telling her he was going to.
