Driver kept changing his story — and had a 10-pound secret in his cooler, Indiana cops say

An Arizona man couldn’t keep his cool during a routine traffic stop Sunday, according to authorities — and it led deputies to a surprising discovery in his cooler.

Deputies pulled over 30-year-old Alexander Regino Quintanilla at 9:30 p.m. Sunday for a minor traffic offense in Avon, Indiana, according to the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office. But during the stop, Quintanilla kept changing the story he was telling officers, deputies said.

Those inconsistent statements led deputies to call in the Danville Police Department, so a drug-sniffing dog could help in the investigation.

When the police dog arrived at the scene on U.S. Route 36, he smelled narcotics — and a search of the vehicle revealed about 10 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside Quintanilla’s cooler in the car, according to the sheriff’s office.

The cooler had been hollowed out to hide the drugs, a photo of the drug bust shows.

Quintanilla was arrested on felony charges, including methamphetamine possession and possession with the intent to deliver. He’s being held at the Hendricks County Jail without bond. The county is just west of Indianapolis in central Indiana.

Quintanilla’s first court appearance was scheduled for Monday, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office estimated the drugs Quintanilla has been accused of transporting could have sold for more than $200,000.