Redding police arrested Sarah Jean Pearson, 48, of Rancho Cordova, after a month-long investigation into suspected fentanyl trafficking from the Sacramento area to Redding; she was found with more than three ounces of fentanyl and booked on multiple felony drug charges, with additional possible enhancements due to her prior record.
REDDING, Calif. — Redding Police Department Bike Team officers arrested a woman suspected of transporting fentanyl from the Sacramento area to Redding following a month-long investigation. Sarah Jean Pearson, 48, of Rancho Cordova, was taken into custody on Oct. 14, 2026.
According to the Redding Police Department, officers with the Bike Team and Neighborhood Police Unit began investigating Pearson after receiving information she may have been bringing fentanyl into the area. Over the course of the month-long investigation, officers confirmed Pearson was traveling to Redding several times per week before returning to her residence in the Sacramento area.
On Oct. 14, 2026, officers located Pearson driving northbound on Interstate 5 and conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, she obstructed officers in their investigation.
Pearson was arrested and found to be in possession of more than three ounces of fentanyl. She was transported to a local hospital so medical personnel could retrieve the fentanyl from a body cavity.
According to the Redding Police Department, Pearson was previously arrested in 2025 for possession of a large amount of cocaine and is currently out of custody on bail, awaiting trial. She was booked into the Shasta County Jail for possession of a controlled substance for sales, transportation of a controlled substance and transportation of a controlled substance from one county to another, as well as misdemeanor violations.
Pearson is also eligible for other felony violations and enhancements due to her lengthy drug-related criminal history.