Mud-flap traffic stop ends in felony charge

COEUR d’ALENE — A man who was pulled over for a lack of mud flaps on his truck was ultimately charged with a felony.

Peter F. Morales, 36, is charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Idaho State Police officers reportedly observed Morales exit the parking lot of a Coeur d’Alene apartment complex last Tuesday. The apartments were under surveillance due to alleged frequent drug use and drug transactions on the premises, according to court documents.

Police said Morales’ vehicle, a Dodge 1500 pickup, was in violation of Idaho Code 49-949, which requires a truck to have mud flaps if the fender is more than 10 inches above the roadway when the truck is unloaded. The truck did not have mud flaps, according to court documents.

The tint on the rear window was allegedly reflective, which police said was in violation of Idaho Code 49-944, requiring that the rear window of a vehicle must allow more than 35% of light in.

Police pulled Morales over for the alleged violations and deployed a drug detection canine, which reportedly alerted to the presence of drug odor coming from the truck.

Upon searching the truck, police reportedly found a key in the cab that unlocked a tool box in the bed. Inside the tool box was a backpack that contained a plastic container with what police said was meth residue inside it, as well as glass pipes, other smoking devices, digital scales that also allegedly had meth residue on them and a plastic baggie that allegedly contained heroin.

The backpack also contained a hand tool with the name “Morales” written on it in black marker, police said.

Morales reportedly told police the items did not belong to him. Police arrested him at the scene.

Morales was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 2015 in Shoshone County and in 2018 in Kootenai County.

A judge ordered Morales be held on $20,000 bail.