ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Odessa officers looking for a wanted suspect ended up making an unrelated arrest last week after allegedly finding a woman living in a stolen RV. Emily Mata, 30, is facing three felony charges, including: Theft of Property, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
According to an affidavit, on January 17, officers with the Odessa Police Department responded to a home on Jackson Street to try and find a suspect wanted on several warrants by the Ector County Sheriff’s Office- the property owner told investigators that the man they were looking for was living inside the RV located on the front of the property. Officers then met with a woman later identified as Mata, who said she also lives inside the RV. Mata reportedly allowed the officers inside to search for the fugitive; instead, they reportedly found .35 grams of methamphetamine, several glass pipes, and a firearm concealed in a cabinet.
Because of the drugs found inside the home, Mata was detained pending further investigation and officers discovered the Dutchman Travel Trailer, valued at $40,000, had been stolen out of Ector County. Mata, a convicted felon, reportedly admitted to using methamphetamines and also admitted to knowing there was a gun inside the home.
She was arrested and taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center where she was later released on a combined $35,000 bond. Jail records indicate that the wanted fugitive was not located inside the RV and has not yet been arrested.