Woman wanted on drug charges found with drugs in New Kensington hotel room, police say

More than 100 stamp bags of suspected fentanyl were among drugs and paraphernalia police from New Kensington and Lower Burrell said they found in a New Kensington hotel room Jan. 23

Police made the discovery while looking for a woman wanted on felony warrants out of Lower Burrell.

New Kensington police charged Trisa Lynn Stickle, 33, who police said is homeless, with felony and misdemeanor drug offenses. She was arraigned Jan. 28 and sent to the Westmoreland County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.

She waived her right to a preliminary hearing Feb. 6 before New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr., according to court records.

Police filed the same charges against Amber Paige Knepshield, 32, of New Kensington, who was found in the room with Stickle. She had not been arraigned on the charges as of Feb. 6, according to court records.

In a criminal complaint filed by New Kensington police, officers from both cities went to the Quality Inn on Tarentum Bridge Road around 2:15 a.m. Saturday after finding out Stickle might be staying in a room there reserved under a man’s name.

Stickle was arrested while Knepshield was detained, the complaint states.

Officers saw uncapped syringes, empty stamp bags, a scale with white powder, white powder on a desk with a cut straw and uncapped needles on both beds, the complaint states.

The women told officers the man had reserved the room for them but was not staying there, the complaint states. The women allegedly gave police permission to search the room.

Police reported finding 123 full stamp bags of suspected fentanyl; 3.4 grams of suspected crack cocaine; 39.66 grams of an unknown white powder; $188 in cash; a digital scale, measuring cup and plastic straws with powder residue; 10 used syringes; a “large amount” of empty stamp bags and an opened box of sandwich baggies, according to the complaint.

Police said the amount of drugs, scale, baggies for packaging and cash were consistent with distributing and selling narcotics.

Stickle did not initially have an attorney listed in court records.

Lower Burrell incident

Lower Burrell police charged Stickle on Jan. 3 with felony and misdemeanor drug offenses along with charges of fleeing, DUI and reckless and careless driving stemming from an incident on Dec. 13, according to court records.

In that incident, according to a criminal complaint, Stickle was found passed out behind the steering wheel of a car by a gas pump at the Sheetz on Craigdell Road.

While talking with an officer, she put the car into drive and fled. Police followed her as she drove on Leechburg Road, eventually crashing after hitting the curb at Puckety Church, after which she ran behind Cedar Crest Apartments.

Officers caught Stickle after she fell. A clear baggy of stamp bags containing heroin was sticking out of one of her pockets, the complaint says.

A New Kensington police dog was brought in to search for contraband that Stickle threw while running, the complaint says. The dog found three suspected “bricks” of heroin.

Stickle, who told officers she had taken fentanyl and suffered an ankle injury while running, was taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison for treatment, the complaint says.

The hospital later told police they forgot to call them when Stickle was released. Harrison police were notified but were unable to find her.

Stickle is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charges filed by Lower Burrell police on Feb. 11 before District Judge Cheryl Peck-Yakopec, according to court records.