Meth, Cocaine, 3 Scales Found In JPD House Raid: Prosecutors

JOLIET ? A 32-year-old Joliet woman who lives at a house in the 2200 block Spencer Road is no longer in the Will County Jail following her recent arrest by the Joliet police after a house raid that recovered cocaine, digital scales and methamphetamine, court records show.

As a result of the Joliet police drug raid, a criminal complaint was filed in recent days at the Will County Courthouse, charging Maria Melendez-Tovar with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The complaint indicates that Melendez intended to deliver between 100 and 400 grams of cocaine.

Another charge, unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, indicated that Melendez is accused of having between 5 and 15 grams of methamphetamine.

The Joliet woman's third charge is possession of drug paraphernalia. Melendez possessed the three digital scales "with the intent to use it in introducing a controlled substance into the human body," the criminal complaint noted.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office filed a petition hoping to keep Melendez locked away in the Will County Jail following her Jan. 23 arrest on charges of dealing both meth and cocaine.

On Jan. 7, the Joliet police force showed up at her house on Spencer Road, but when the police knocked on the door and announced their presence, nobody came to the door.

"After receiving no response from inside the residence, officers breached the front door and made entry. Ne one was located inside the residence," prosecutors noted.

Inside the bedroom, Joliet police K9 Ady alerted his handler to the presence of drugs and Joliet police found mail, bills, check stubs, a Mexican Consular Identification and a Mexican passport for Melendez, prosecutors revealed.

In the same bedroom, Joliet police found $1,558 cash, three digital scales, several small clear plastic Ziploc bags, one used clear glass drug pipe, 16 clear bags that contained 10.01 grams of methamphetamine and 102.42 grams of cocaine, court records note.

The prosecutor's petition to deny pretrial release was not accepted by Judge Tom Slazyk. Instead, he ordered the Joliet woman's release with certain conditions.