by | Published
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - A New Braunfels woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a methamphetamine trafficking charge stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.
Melissa Gayle Escobedo, 41, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, Penalty Group 1, Greater Than 4 Grams but Less Than 200 Grams, involving methamphetamine.
Visiting Judge Dan Mills sentenced Escobedo to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
According to court records, the case began on Aug. 4, 2022, when officers with the New Braunfels Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 1500 block of North Business Interstate 35.
During the stop, officers identified Escobedo as the driver and learned that her male passenger had an active warrant out of Bexar County.
Investigators said Escobedo admitted she had methamphetamine in her purse and was taken into custody.
After transporting Escobedo and the passenger to the Comal County Jail, the arresting officer conducted a routine inspection of the back seat area of his patrol vehicle.
During the inspection, the officer discovered two plastic bags containing a large quantity of methamphetamine hidden underneath the partition divider inside the patrol unit.
Authorities confirmed that Escobedo and her passenger were the only individuals who had recently been transported in the vehicle.
The officer later reviewed in-car camera footage and heard Escobedo tell the passenger, "{Expletive} dude, I have it in my bra."
Investigators said the video showed Escobedo slipping one hand out of her handcuffs while seated in the back seat of the patrol car. She was then seen removing the narcotics from inside her bra, dropping the bags onto the floorboard, and using her feet to push them beneath the divider before placing her hand back into the handcuffs.
The case was investigated by the New Braunfels Police Department and prosecuted by Christopher Griffith and Melissa Mulley on behalf of the State of Texas.
The conviction concludes a case that began nearly four years ago and involved evidence captured on police vehicle video footage.
