A pair of apparent trespassers were soon facing felony drug charges after they were spotted Wednesday evening by a passing Garland County sheriff's investigator.
Matthew Thomas Lantz, 41, who lists an address of 5089 E. Grand Ave., and
Crystal Gail Cross, 30, who lists an address of 215 Oak St., were both taken into custody around 5:30 p.m. and each charged with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass.
Lantz, who also had two warrants for failure to appear, was being held without bond, while Cross remained in custody Thursday in lieu of $6,500 bond. Both are set to appear Aug. 19 in Garland County District Court.
According to reports, shortly after 5 p.m., GCSD investigator Scott Hinojosa was driving inbound on Highway 70 east near Venture III property in the 4100 block when he spotted a green Ford F-250 pickup parked off the north side of the road. He pulled over to check because he knew the owner of the property had been having problems with trespassers.
He saw a woman, later identified as Cross, walking out of the woods and approached her. She claimed the pickup ran out of a gas and her friend, "Jeremy," had left on foot with a gas can to go get some.
Hinojosa asked her which direction he went, and she told him east, and he noted that he had just come from that direction and didn't see anyone walking on the road.
While he was speaking to her, he heard a male yelling "Crystal!" from the woods and moments later a man, identified as Lantz, came out of the woods. When asked what he was doing, Lantz claimed he was "just walking down the road," but couldn't explain why he was in the woods.
Hinojosa detained both suspects at the scene until GCSD Deputy Jeremy Simpson arrived to assist. Hinojosa also made contact with the owner of the property who indicated he wanted trespassing charges filed.
After Simpson arrived, he allegedly located a small silver coin purse lying on top of the front passenger tire which was found to contain a baggie with several white crystals that later tested positive for meth, approximately 2 grams, a silver spoon and four syringes.
Both suspects were taken into custody and a check revealed the outstanding warrants for Lantz's arrest. Cross later reportedly admitted she and Lantz were together and that Lantz hid in the woods because of the warrants for his arrest.
Local on 08/01/2014