A woman was arrested after officers spotted her riding in a stolen rental vehicle at a gas station in Gurnee and found over a pound of cocaine in the trunk of the car, prosecutors said.
The Gurnee Police Department received a report around 12:21 p.m. on August 15 about a stolen 2025 Nissan Altima with a Minnesota license plate last seen leaving Chicago.
An officer was able to locate the Nissan at the Shell gas station, 36725 Skokie Highway in Gurnee, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jonathan Moy.
Officers approached the car and identified Ashley C. Franklin, 41, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the passenger.
Officers detained Franklin and the driver and then conducted a search of the car.
They discovered a black backpack in the trunk of the car and found 495 grams — over a pound — of a white substance that field-tested positive for cocaine, Moy said.
Officers learned the car was a rental and the woman who rented it reported it stolen to the Chicago Police Department earlier that same day.
Moy said the victim reported she drove with Franklin and the third person from Minnesota on August 14 to go to the Chicago area.
The victim and Franklin dropped off the third person in Evanston and the couple proceeded to continue their journey to the south side of Chicago.
The couple got into an argument early in the morning on August 15 and Franklin hit the victim and stole the Nissan, leaving the victim in Chicago, Moy said.
She called the Chicago Police Department to report the car stolen and other jurisdictions were alerted.
Franklin was interviewed by officers and said she needed to leave to go back to Minnesota after being in Chicago. She said she went to pick up the third person from Evanston with the Nissan Altima and head back to Minneapolis.
Moy said Franklin switched with the male acquaintance as the driver because she does not have an active driver’s license. She admitted the black backpack, where the cocaine was recovered, belonged to her.
Franklin told police she never touched the contents of the backpack when they all left Minnesota to come to Chicago but a hairbrush and an Apple Watch in the backpack belonged to Franklin, Moy said.
Moy said Franklin then changed her story to officers and said that the Apple Watch belonged to the victim instead.
Franklin was charged with manufacturing or delivery of 400-900 grams of cocaine, possession of 400-900 grams of cocaine, possession of a stolen vehicle and obstructing identification.
“The Defendant’s background shows that she has a history of multiple drug charges and conviction. These drugs convictions or charges include the Defendant intending to deliver some form of narcotics,” Moy said, adding that Franklin also had an extraditable warrant for active charges in Minnesota.
“The concern in this present case is that this Defendant does not have ties within Lake County let alone the State of Illinois. This Defendant primary residence and ties are the State of Minnesota. And this Defendant has a history of drug related or drug trafficking charges that it is concerning that if the Defendant is released with conditions that this Defendant will not appear in court to face her current charges,” Moy said.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted a petition to detain Franklin pending trial, filed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, during a detention hearing.
Franklin remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday for an arraignment hearing.