Police say woman was caught with heroin, pills
BUTLER TWP — A suspected drugged driver allegedly caught with dozens of stamp bags of suspected heroin and nearly 40 prescription pills following a traffic stop in the township last week remains behind bars in Allegheny County.
Crystal R. Pakutz, 26, of Oakland Township, is facing felony drug possession and other charges in connection with the early morning stop Dec. 10 on Hansen Avenue.
State police arrested her, but she subsequently was placed in the Allegheny County Jail on a bench warrant stemming from an unrelated felony drug case, authorities said.
Police also arrested Pakutz's passenger, Stanford A. Russell Jr., 28, of Pittsburgh, in the same traffic stop after they said they found him with more than 100 stamp bags of suspected heroin, a stolen handgun and other contraband.
Russell is charged with felony possession of drugs and a firearm, and he is being held in lieu of $100,000 bond in the Butler County Prison.
Police said they noticed a car traveling south on Hansen Avenue without its headlights on around 2:20 a.m. Dec. 10. The driver, later identified as Pakutz, sped up and drove through Lyn-Mar Plaza, eventually stopping in a driveway.
Russell is accused of fleeing out a rear passenger door. Butler Township police, however, caught him a short time later while assisting state police, authorities said.
Pakutz appeared to be impaired, and police took her to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood test. A search of her, police said, turned up 49 glassine bags of suspected heroin and 38 pills believed to be oxycodone, amphetamine, Tylenol/hydrocodone and gabapentin.
Police also learned of the active warrant for her in Allegheny County.
She is charged in the traffic stop with felony and misdemeanor counts of drug possession as well as driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Her arraignment on those charges is pending.
Police said they found Russell, a felon, with a stolen .380-caliber pistol, 117 stamp bags of suspected heroin, two oxycodone pills, a small amount of marijuana, a digital scale and three cellphones.
Among his charges are five felonies, including possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, receiving stolen property, prohibited possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a carry license, and flight to avoid apprehension.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled at 9:15 a.m. Thursday before District Judge Kevin O'Donnell.
