On April 21, 2026, law enforcement observed a vehicle at the Dick's Sporting Goods parking lot in Woodbury, Washington County, Minnesota. The occupants, a male and female, entered the store separately from each other. Law enforcement observed burnt tin foil that contained apparent narcotic residue near the passenger seat of the vehicle. The occupants then returned to the vehicle and drove to Cub Foods. Law enforcement continued to surveil the vehicle. The occupants entered Cub Foods at different times.
The female eventually returned to the vehicle and drove to a different area of the parking lot. She picked up the male and proceeded out of the parking lot. Law enforcement observed the vehicle drive the wrong way around a traffic circle. The male passenger was not wearing a seatbelt. The vehicle turned into another parking lot. As it turned into the parking lot, the male put on his seatbelt. A traffic stop was initiated. Law enforcement made contact with the occupants. The driver was identified as JENNIFER LYNN HACKENMUELLER, [DOB redacted], "the defendant" herein.
The male passenger initially provided a false name. He was confirmed to have an active felony warrant that was narcotics-related. Officers located drug paraphernalia on the male's person. The defendant stated that the vehicle belonged to her stepfather. Law enforcement confirmed that the vehicle was registered to a female. The defendant denied that there were any controlled substances in the vehicle. She claimed her last use was last June. A K-9 sniff was conducted outside the perimeter of the vehicle.
The K-9 alerted on the vehicle. The vehicle was searched. Law enforcement located a makeup bag on the front passenger floorboard. The bag contained makeup products and baggie containing a blue, powdery substance. The substance field-tested positive for fentanyl and weighed.54 grams. Throughout the search, law enforcement only located items typically associated with females. In a Mirandized interview, the defendant denied that the makeup bag belonged to her. She claimed the male passenger had given the bag to her as a gift and he had bought it from a female named, "Melissa.
