By Travis Uresk https://www.1nationjustice.com/
8/30/23
Vernal, Ut.- On 8/22/23, Cpl. Randall responded to Family Dollar at 620 West Main Street regarding a possible retail theft. It was reported a white male wearing a tank top and tan pants was placing items down his pants.
Vernal City Police Officer Oldham arrived on scene first, identified the male as 36-year-old Colton Daniel Lowe, and performed a records check. The records check revealed that Colton had two active arrest warrants.
When Cpl. Randall arrived on the scene. Officer Oldham provided him with a receipt and stated it was Colton's and it was for all the items he had placed in the trunk of his vehicle.
Cpl. Randall entered the Family Dollar and spoke with the assistant manager. She stated a customer had informed her that Colton was putting merchandise down his pants. The assistant manager stated she looked over and saw Colton with his hands in his pockets. She said she didn’t physically see Colton place anything in his pockets. Officer Oldham left the store and took Colton into custody.
Cpl. Randall asked the assistant manager if there was any surveillance footage of Colton inside the store.
When Randall exited the store, Oldham informed him that he found two packs of batteries and a toothbrush on Colton's person. The items were taken back into the store to see if there was a way to see if the items came from this store. The assistant manager scanned the barcodes on the items and confirmed they had been taken from the store.
Sgt. Gledhill performed a records check on the driver of the vehicle, who was with Colton. She was identified as 35-year-old Nathaly Elleise Russell. Records revealed Nathaly had active arrest warrants. She also was taken into custody.
Due to Nathaly and Colton having been taken into custody, the vehicle was impounded. Neither of the two was the registered owner of the vehicle.
During the vehicle inventory, a black transaction card with Nathaly's name on it. There was a white residue on the card consistent with meth. There was a white crystalline substance on the seat cover where Nathaly was sitting. Under the seat cover was a large amount of meth in a clear plastic bag.
A small black bag on the front passenger floorboard contained Colton's driver's license and a small Ziploc bag containing a brown powdery substance consistent with Heroin. Also, there was a white bag containing meth, a gray plastic straw that was melted and bent.
At the Jail, Nathaly was asked about the white residue on the transaction card, and she stated she was unaware of the card. She then was asked about the meth under the seat cover. Nathaly stated it wasn't hers and it belonged to Colton.
At the jail, Colton was asked if he knew what was found in the vehicle, and he said he did not. He admitted placing the air fresheners in Officer Oldham's truck, claiming he bought them in Orem. Colton stated he was going to return the air fresheners, batteries, and a toothbrush to Family Dollar in Orem but didn't have a receipt for the items.
The air fresheners were confirmed they were taken from the Vernal store by scanning the bar code and performing a count of the inventory. The inventory count was missing one item for the two air fresheners, both packs of batteries and the toothbrush.
Cpl. Randall went to the VPD to book the evidence he had collected from the vehicle inventory and weighed the bag with the meth. The total weight of the meth was 23.1 Grams. That amount of meth is commonly possessed with the intent to distribute.
Nathaly informed Sgt. Gledhill that she handled the bag of meth earlier that day, and she sells meth to two people in Orem and her neighbors.
