Storm Lake teen, Spencer man arrested after U.S. 71 traffic stop

Kevin Patino, 18, of Spencer, was held in the Clay County Jail following a Feb. 11 traffic stop on U.S. Highway 71 that also resulted in a 17-year-old Storm Lake female driver being cited on several drug- and alcohol-related counts, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. The stop was initiated for speeding in the 3800 block of Highway 71, the sheriff’s release says.

Deputies searched the vehicle after the stop and located nicotine products, marijuana vape pens, and alcoholic beverages inside, local reports state. The juvenile driver was cited for Possession of a Controlled Substance - Marijuana, Minor in Possession of Tobacco, Minor in Possession of Alcohol, Speeding, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The Storm Lake teen was released to the custody of her parents.

Patino faces charges of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of a Controlled Substance - Marijuana and was held to appear before the magistrate at the Clay County Courthouse, court booking records show. The sheriff’s office identified a deputy as initiating the traffic stop for a speeding violation; KilrRadio and other local outlets reported the stop as occurring in the evening, with one account saying it was around seven o’clock Friday night, but the agency release lists the calendar date as Feb. 11.

The Feb. 11 Highway 71 stop follows a string of recent Clay County traffic enforcement actions that have produced drug- and underage possession charges. On Sept. 1, deputies pulled over a vehicle near the 3600 mile of 340th Avenue and, after detecting the odor of controlled substances, found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Gillett Grove resident 22-year-old Kaden Knephoff was charged with second-offense possession of methamphetamine, an aggravated misdemeanor, along with several simple misdemeanors. Passenger 19-year-old Alexis Wunder of Spencer faces counts including possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, minor in possession of tobacco, no insurance, and operating without registration; both were taken to the Clay County Jail with assistance from the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office and Bud’s Towing Service.

Other recent stops include a June 4 traffic stop at the 1600 mile of Hwy 10 at the intersection of 170th Ave where 24-year-old Nathan Thomas Vanderlinden of Orange City was arrested after deputies discovered he was driving without a valid license and, upon smelling marijuana, found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. NorthwestIowaNow and KICD also reported an undated Friday night stop on Highway 71 north of the turnoffs to Rossie and Greenville that led to the arrest of 18-year-old Breydon Kosky of Storm Lake for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia while another unnamed passenger was cited for underage tobacco and alcohol possession.

Patino remained in Clay County custody pending his magistrate appearance, and the juvenile’s release to her parents was recorded in the sheriff’s incident log. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office provided the initial details of the Feb. 11 stop and the charges filed.