On Sept. 19, Grand Junction Police Officer Shad LeFevre and another officer were dispatched to Colorado Mesa University Pinon Hall for a report of a minor in possession (MIP) of marijuana. According to the arrest report the suspect, Lauren Lawson, age 20, had been approached by CMU resident assistants (RAs) about the marijuana. Lawson threw the evidence off a balcony.
Upon arrival, LeFevre observed Lawson standing with a group of RAs and a blue five-gallon bucket near a white box lying on the ground. According to the report, multiple large bags of marijuana were in the bucket along with a marijuana grinder.
Lawson acknowledged ownership of the bucket.
After being taken into custody and read the Miranda Advisement, Lawson agreed to answer questions.
Lawson said that she had been walking through an alley in Denver when she noticed a large quantity of marijuana in garbage bags. Lawson collected the bags and returned to CMU with them.
The arrest report stated that Lawson was struggling to pay for school and intended to sell the marijuana. Lawson told LeFevre that she had planned to “smoke most of it, sell the rest.”
The arrest was set in motion when one of the RAs noticed a lot of people coming and going from Lawson’s room after she returned from a trip to Denver. The RA observed a strange smell and narrowed it to a blue bucket and white box located on Lawson’s balcony.
The RA reported the bucket and returned with another person in an attempt to contact Lawson. They said Lawson took a long time to answer the door and when she did, the bucket and box were no longer on the balcony. When they looked over the balcony, they saw the missing bucket and box on the grass.
Lawson told the police that she observed the RA talking about the bucket and so she threw the bucket and box off the balcony.
According to the arrest report, the collected marijuana weighed around 10-11 ounces.
Lawson was transported to the Mesa County Jail and booked for possession with intent to distribute, tampering with physical evidence, minor in possession of marijuana and minor in possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
Lawson is currently out on bond.
