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CEDAR CITY — A driver who was pulled over on I-15 in Iron County on Thursday for having excessively tinted windows was arrested after officers say they found drugs in his vehicle.
According to a probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, 25-year-old Angel Ramon Mendoza was driving north on I-15 near Cedar City shortly before 10 a.m. when a Utah Highway Patrol trooper noticed that the passing car "appeared to have window tint that was darker than the legal limit."
After getting the driver to pull over near mile marker 65, approximately 3 miles north of Cedar City, the trooper then reportedly received the driver's permission to conduct a search.
"I observed a nugget of green leafy substance near the front center console during the search, and the search transitioned into a probable cause search," the trooper wrote, adding that Mendoza did not have a medical marijuana card.
After finding a specialized tool in the trunk area of the vehicle, the trooper used it to remove the upholstery clips from a side panel and found several packages of what appeared to be narcotics.
