Drug deal leads to serious charges

PALMER — An apparent drug deal in a car west of town with a baby in the back seat landed a 27-year-old woman in jail this weekend.

According to an Alaska State Troopers press statement, at 9:39 p.m., Friday troopers stopped on what appeared to be a “vehicle in distress” — usually trooper-speak for a car stuck in snow — on Loma Pieta Drive.

“Troopers noticed odors of marijuana and conducted a (police dog) search around the exterior of the vehicle,” the report says.

Troopers allege that Alison J. Hooks, 27, of Palmer, was in possession methamphetamines, methadone, the prescription painkiller hydrocodone, morphine, alpazolam (a drug often sold commercially as Xanax) and marijuana “while she had a 4-month-old infant in the vehicle.”

According to troopers, her passenger, Joshua B. Leigh, 30, of Palmer, had just allegedly delivered meth to Hooks. He apparently also was in possession of marijuana.

“Leigh attempted to conceal and destroy drug evidence while under arrest,” according to the press release.

She was charged with multiple counts of drug misconduct and child endangerment. She was jailed on $35,000 bail at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility, with the condition she find a third party to watch over her before she can be released.

Leigh, meanwhile, was charged with multiple drug misconduct counts as well as evidence tampering. His bail was set at $30,000. Like Hooks, he was jailed in Palmer and will need to find someone to watch over him.

Jail records Monday afternoon show both were still incarcerated.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at Andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.