A routine traffic stop in Phelan turned up more than just vehicle code violations when deputies discovered meth and a gun in a local woman's truck on Thursday morning.
Danielle Westhoff, 41, of Wrightwood was nabbed after San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy A. Barajas pulled her over on Sheep Creek Road near Phelan Road for a vehicle code infraction, during the stop, Deputy Barajas found out Westhoff had a suspended and revoked license, and that wasn't all he found after he searched her 2001 red Chevrolet truck. A firearm was found along with suspected methamphetamine tucked inside her purse, according to an official press release from the Sheriff-Coroner Department, according to The Victor Valley Sheriff's Department.
The arrest occurred at approximately 9:02 a.m., and Westhoff now faces charges of possession of a controlled substance while armed, a serious offense under HS 11370.1(A). The stakes were higher as Westhoff’s 10-year-old son was with her at the time, prompting a call to Children and Family Services; the child was later released to another family member. Westhoff is being held at High Desert Detention Center with bail set at a steep $40,000, as reported by the Victor Valley Sheriff's Department.
The Victor Valley Sheriff's Station is currently handling the ongoing investigation, and Deputy Barajas has called on anyone with more information to come forward and contact him directly at 760-552-6800 or remain anonymous by reaching out to We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or through their website, as shared in the press release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department.
