On November 23, 2025, at approximately 11:10 P.M., police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle on White Bear Avenue in Ramsey County, Minnesota. The driver was identified as MJS. MJS appeared nervous and reported that she was down in the metro area for an appointment at the VA. The front passenger, identified as AMANDA RAY NOVOTNY – [DOB REDACTED], also appeared nervous. Police observed a plastic glassine baggie containing suspected narcotics in the rear cupholder next to the backseat passenger, who was identified as JADE ALLEN BARON – [DOB REDACTED]. The occupants reported that they were all from International Falls, but NOVOTNY now lived in the metro area and was getting a ride home from MJS, who was a long-time friend.
MJS was discovered to have a revoked driver’s license. Police had the occupants exit the vehicle. NOVOTNY denied having any drugs on her person. Pursuant to a consensual search, police located a plastic bag with a large amount of suspected narcotics in NOVOTNY’s rear pants pocket. NOVOTNY claimed she did not know that was in her pants and said they were MJS’s pants. In NOVOTNY’s other rear pocket, police located two additional shards of suspected controlled substance. Pursuant to a consensual search of the vehicle, police located a jar containing plastic pellets and a plastic baggie containing suspected narcotics under a blanket on the front passenger seat where NOVOTNY was sitting.
Under the driver’s seat, police located a black zipper case that contained a digital scale and hundreds of small glassine baggies. On the floor next to the rear passenger seat where BARON was sitting, police located a handbag containing a plastic glassine baggie containing brown residue, tubing, bubble pipes, a butane lighter, a small glass jar containing suspected narcotics, needles, and rubber tourniquets. BARON admitted he used methamphetamine a few days earlier but denied having drugs on his person.
Presumptive testing on the suspected narcotics with the following results: Item 1 (recovered from NOVOTNY’s pants pocket): positive result for methamphetamine with a net weight of 27.80 grams Item 2 (shards recovered from NOVOTNY’s pants pocket): positive result for methamphetamine with a net weight of 0.91 grams. Item 3 (recovered from the jar on the seat where NOVOTNY was sitting): positive result for methamphetamine with a net weight of 53.84 grams. Item 4 (recovered from cupholder next to BARON): positive result for methamphetamine with a net weight of 1.06 grams.
Item 5 (recovered from jar in bag next to rear passenger seat where BARON was sitting): positive result for methamphetamine with a net weight of 0.87 grams. Following a Miranda advisory, BARON reported that he is MJS's boyfriend, and said they were down in the metro from International Falls to attend MJS's medical appointment then give NOVOTNY a ride back to International Falls. BARON denied knowing anything about any narcotics recovered from the vehicle. Following a Miranda advisory, MJS corroborated what BARON told the investigator and also denied knowing about any narcotics located in her vehicle.
