A traffic stop early Thursday morning in northern Jennings County led to the arrest of an 18-year-old Seymour woman on four criminal drug charges, police report.

The incident that led to the arrest of Kloweigh Leighn Cox started when North Vernon Officer Chris Allen conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for an equipment violation on North State Road 3, according to a news release from Sgt. Isaacs Barkes.

Upon activating the red and blue overhead lights, the driver was slow to stop and passed multiple appropriate locations to pull over, said Barkes, who is the public information officer for North Vernon Police Department.

The driver later identified as Ace Holstein, 28, of Butlerville, then pulled onto Locust Grove Drive, a side road on the opposite side of the highway and came to a stop.

Allen conducted a medium risk traffic stop, and was soon after assisted by Officer Nathan Vogel. During the conversation with Holstein, he denied anything illegal in the vehicle, and denied consent to search the vehicle, Barkes said.

Holstein did advise Allen if a police K9 “hit” on the vehicle then he wouldn’t mind the search.

As Allen completed a written warning to Holstein for the equipment violation, Officer John Amis of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department arrived with his K9 deputy, Dino.

A short time later Dino provided a positive alert to the odor of an illegal substance in the vehicle, Barkes said. Officers then conducted a probable cause vehicle search and located numerous drug paraphernalia items and suspected methamphetamine.

Allen also spoke with the Holstein and the passengers and asked who owned the drug items in the vehicle, Barkes said.

Cox, who told police the items were hers, was placed under arrest and asked if there were any other drugs or paraphernalia on her person or in her items. Cox stated there were not. Holstein and the other passengers were released from the scene.

Cox, who faces Level 6 felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of hypodermic syringe or trafficking with an inmate, was booked into the Jennings County Jail. She also faces a Class C misdemeanor charge of possession of paraphernalia.

While being processed into the Jennings County Jail, methamphetamine was located in Cox’s possession, Barkes said.

North Vernon police also were assisted by Jennings County dispatchers and jailers.