Altoona, PA — A routine traffic stop in Altoona has led to the arrest of Rafiq A. Dandridge, 30, of Philadelphia, after police discovered a cache of illegal drugs in a vehicle with an expired registration. The driver, Terrence Mitchell, also of Philadelphia, is currently wanted by Altoona police.
According to authorities, police pulled over a blue Acura MDX around 1 p.m. on Saturday near Sixth Avenue and 12th Street. The vehicle’s registration had expired in May 2024, and the listed owner was deceased.
Inside the car were Dandridge, a rear-seat passenger, and Mitchell, 34, the driver. Dandridge claimed he rented the car from the deceased owner’s husband and picked up Mitchell in Claysburg to return to Philadelphia. However, Mitchell was unable to provide details about their trip or any local contacts in Altoona.
Upon discovering that Dandridge had a warrant out of Montgomery County and Mitchell was on parole in New Jersey for prior drug offenses, police detained Dandridge. A K-9 unit alerted to narcotics in the vehicle, which was then impounded for further search.
A subsequent search warrant led to the discovery of:
37 glassine packets labeled “Oreo” and “Dennis Rodman” containing suspected methamphetamine
Four bags of fentanyl
Four bags of suspected crack cocaine (14 grams)
4 grams of suspected psilocybin mushrooms
Dandridge was charged with:
Felony possession with intent to deliver
Misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance
Possession of drug paraphernalia
He was arraigned Sunday and is being held at Blair County Prison on $100,000 bail.
Meanwhile, Terrence Mitchell is wanted on a felony warrant related to the incident and faces additional charges including driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.
The case remains under investigation.
