A 22-year-old woman was arrested in Gastonia on September 17 after police say she was carrying fentanyl, crack cocaine and a glass smoking pipe — and then tried to run when officers moved to detain her. It wasn't the first time she'd allegedly bolted from law enforcement this year.
Miranda Aiken was stopped on the street during a drug investigation as officers were conducting surveillance on a drug house, according to Charlotte Alerts News. As officers tried to detain her, Aiken ran away on foot, the outlet reports. Police chased her down and tackled her to make the arrest.
Per the same account, Aiken had fentanyl, crack cocaine and a glass pipe used for smoking drugs on her at the time. She was booked on charges of fentanyl possession, cocaine possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting a police officer, the report states. The outlet's report also notes that Aiken had visible bruises and red marks on her face in her arrest photo after being tackled.
A Second Alleged Run-In With Police This Year
This was not the first time Aiken had allegedly tried to get away from officers in 2026. In July, she reportedly jumped out of a police car in west Charlotte after getting out of her handcuffs, according to the same report, which says she was arrested at that time after escaping the vehicle.
The paraphernalia charge Aiken now faces carries defined consequences under state law. North Carolina statute makes it unlawful to knowingly use or possess drug paraphernalia intended for prohibited controlled-substance activities, classifying a violation as a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
What State Law Says About Fentanyl Charges
Fentanyl-related offenses can carry far steeper penalties in North Carolina. State statute specifies that any violation of G.S. 90-95(a)(1) involving fentanyl or carfentanil is punished as a Class F felony, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. It has not been established which specific subsection of that statute applies to Aiken's case.
Details such as the quantities of fentanyl and cocaine involved, Aiken's booking information, and whether the substances were laboratory-confirmed have not been made public. It also remains unclear whether the charges from either the September Gastonia arrest or the July Charlotte incident are still pending or have been resolved.
