On May 27, 2025, at approximately 2:31 am, law enforcement from the Moorhead Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a 2007 Buick Rendezvous with black Corwin paper plates on 8th Street South in Moorhead, Clay County, Minnesota. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle due to no visible temporary plates. Upon initial contact with the driver, law enforcement observed an individual in the back seat, laying down without a seat belt on. That individual, N. E. Asked to speak with Officer Eggert outside of the vehicle.
N. E. Informed Officer Eggert that the female passenger, later identified as Elizabeth Marie Mendez [DOB REDACTED] (“Defendant”), had some sort of issue at the apartment she was staying at on 12th Street North in Moorhead. This address was known to law enforcement for its multiple calls for service including a recent search warrant regarding a narcotics investigation and an attempt to locate call regarding a stolen EMS bike. The address was known to law enforcement of constant come and go traffic and intelligence that the address is involved with narcotics activity.
Further, Officer Eggert noted he had previously stopped the same vehicle where the same individual was driving and several occupants were arrested for outstanding warrants. Officer Eggert noted that as he spoke with N. E. He observed N. E. To have specific behaviors that made Officer Eggert believe N. E. Was under the influence of narcotics. N. E. Admitted to recent methamphetamine use. Officer Eggert ran N. E.’s information and found him to have outstanding warrants for his arrest. Officer Eggert asked the Defendant her name and she replied “Dizzy.” Officer Eggert explained to the Defendant that based on the vehicle’s history being involved with narcotics, the address the occupants had come from and that N. E. Appeared to be under the influence, he believed he had reasonable articulable suspicion that there were narcotics inside the vehicle and requested the female to provide her name.
The Defendant provided Officer Eggert with the last name Trobe and her date of birth. After running the information through his system, Officer Eggert concluded this was not the Defendant’s true name. Officer Eggert confronted the Defendant regarding her false name and the Defendant refused to provide her true name. At this time, Officer Eggert detained the Defendant who then eventually gave law enforcement her correct name. Officer Eggert ran the Defendant’s name and found the Defendant to have an outstanding warrant for her arrest.
After arresting the Defendant on her warrant, Officer Eggert search the Defendant’s bag incident to arrest. The Defendant’s bag was located in the front passenger seat and the Driver indicated the bag to be the Defendant’s. Upon search of the Defendant’s bag, Officer Eggert located a plastic baggie that contained a white crystalline substance. Based on training and experience, Officer Eggert believed the substance to be methamphetamine. Officer Eggert weighed the suspected methamphetamine, which weighed.4 grams.
