On May 28, 2025, at approximately 11:28 P.M., an officer with the West St. Paul Police Department was traveling westbound on Highway 62 on the border between the cities of West St. Paul and Mendota Heights, in the County of Dakota, in the State of Minnesota, when the officer observed a white SUV traveling in the right lane without it’s rear lights illuminated. The officer pulled activated her emergency lights and pulled the vehicle over. As the officer approached and made contact, she verbally identified the driver and determined his driving status was revoked and he had a warrant.
The driver was arrested and officers made contact with the female passenger, identified as CHRYSTAL RICHELLE FRENETTE [DOB REDACTED], herein the Defendant. The defendant did not have a valid license and the officers determined the vehicle would be towed. While speaking with the Defendant, the Defendant opened a white backpack to obtain her ID and officers observed clear baggies, consistent with drug use, in plain view in the Defendant’s backpack. A search of the vehicle was conducted and nothing of note was found on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
On the passenger side, where the Defendant was seated, officers located a small backpack that the Defendant had been going through when looking for her ID. Inside the backpack, officers located several glass pipes and a torch lighter. Officers also located a tin container with drug paraphernalia and a small, rubber container. Upon opening the rubber container, officers located a white powdery substance believed to be a controlled substance. The Defendant was placed under arrest and asked if she had any other narcotics on her.
The Defendant initially said no, then later said she had foil in her bra and had drugs in her hair. While searching the Defendant incident to arrest, officers located a lighter, two separate foils in her bra, and a small, rubber container in her hair. The rubber container was similar to the one located in the backpack. Officers read the Defendant the Miranda Warning and she agreed to speak with officers. She told the officers that the backpack belongs to her juvenile daughter and said that the narcotics in the backpack belonged to the male but that she knew the narcotics were in her bag.
She also advised officers that the substance would be fentanyl mixed with another substance. She also told officers that she had bought the narcotics with the male and that they had scales and baggies so that they could split the narcotics between themselves equally. 2 19HA-CR-25-2053 Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 12/2/2025 The suspected narcotics were collected and submitted to the Dakota County Drug Task Force for preliminary NIK testing. The substance in one container weighed 0.16 grams and tested positive for cocaine.
