PHOENIX — A Phoenix mother is accused of using her 13-year-old daughter to try and hide cocaine from officers during a traffic stop back in September.
Rufina Lopez Covarruvia was arrested back in September after officers found a bag of $130 worth of cocaine in her daughter's clothing, court documents showed.
Covarruvia was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury on multiple counts, including using a minor in a drug offense, possessing and transporting a narcotic drug for sale and driving on a suspended license, the Arizona Attorney General's Office announced.
According to court documents, Covarruvia was booked into jail on Sept. 19 after she was pulled over in a parking lot near 51st Avenue and McDowell Road for failing to drive in the proper lane.
Covarruvia was handcuffed after the officer found that she had a warrant out for her arrest from a previous traffic offense. Three children who were in the car with her, ages 13, 10 and 2, were also ordered outside of the car so a K9 could search it.
Before the K9 was able to begin the search, court documents showed that a second officer found a small bag containing a white powder that fell out of the 13-year-old's clothing. No other drugs were found inside the car.
The teenager told authorities that her mom drove them to a nearby apartment complex, where Covarruvia allegedly bought $120 to $130 worth of cocaine from a man.
The girl also told police that her mom told her to hide the bag of cocaine in her clothing as police were pulling her over.
She told police that her mom does not use the cocaine but packs it into smaller bags and sells each bag for $20.
Covarruvia admitted to buying the cocaine but said her daughter took the bag and hid it herself.
The powder later tested positive for cocaine.
