Somerton school teacher accused of having drugs on campus pleads not guilty

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Somerton school teacher accused of having drugs on campus pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Monday.

Deana Lynn Salter, 55, is facing charges of possession of dangerous drugs in a school zone, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and reckless child abuse.

Salter was arrested earlier this month after the Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) said a staff member found a makeup bag, but as the staff member was looking inside to figure out who it belonged to, they found a plastic bag containing an unidentified substance.

The staff member, according to YCSO, "turned the bag over the the YCSO School Resource Officer who identified the substance as Methamphetamine."

During an additional search of the bag, YCSO identified Salter as the bag's owner, leading to her arrest.

After that, the Yuma County Narcotics Task Force took over the investigation, and YCSO said, "The total amount of Methamphetamine was approximately 4.35 grams."

Salter, who is no longer in custody, will be back in court on September 18 for a case management hearing.