| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: SCHAFFER, HEATH 0652 (AR13-7535) DID UNLAWFULLY HAVE IN HER ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, TO WIT: COCAINE, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 893.13(6)(A). ON 100413, AT APPROXIMATELY 2225 HOURS, WHILE PROACTIVELY PATROLLING THE BEVERLY HILLS AREA, I OBSERVED A BLUE IN COLOR FORD VEHICLE WHICH WAS TRAVELING ON SOUTH LEE STREET. I PULLED BEHIND THE VEHICLE, AND RAN THE VEHICLEâS LICENSE PLATE NUMBER, WHICH WAS AWIE65, THROUGH FCIC/NCIC, WHICH REVEALED THAT THE REGISTRATION TO THE VEHICLE HAD EXPIRED ON 083013, AND THAT THE REGISTERED OWNER DID NOT HAVE A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE. I THEN INITIATED A TRAFFIC STOP ON THE VEHICLE AT THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH LEE STREET AND REGINA BOULEVARD. I APPROACHED THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVERâS SIDE, AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER/DEFENDANT, MR BRENDA HOWEY, AND REQUESTED THAT SHE PROVIDE ME WITH HER DRIVER'S LICENSE AND VEHICLE REGISTRATION. THE DEFENDANT LOOKED AT ME WITH A BLANK STARE, AT WHICH TIME I ASKED HER IF HER DRIVER'S LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED, TO WHICH SHE ADVISED THAT IT WAS. I ASKED THE DEFENDANT THAT SHE TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, AND REQUESTED THE ASSISTANCE OF CANINE DEPUTY PHILLIPS TO RESPOND TO THIS TRAFFIC STOP. UPON THE ARRIVAL OF CANINE DEPUTY PHILLIPS, HE AND HIS CANINE PARTNER KINO CONDUCTED AN EXTERIOR SNIFF OF THE VEHICLE, AND ADVISED ME THAT KINO HAD ALERTED ON THE VEHICLE. I ASKED THE DEFENDANT TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, AND ASKED HER IF THERE WERE ANY ILLEGAL DRUGS INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, TO WHICH SHE ADVISED THAT THERE WAS COCAINE IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. DEPUTY PHILLIPS THEN ASKED THE PASSENGER OF THE VEHICLE TO EXIT, AND BEGAN TO CONDUCT A HAND SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE. DEPUTY PHILLIPS ADVISED THAT HE HAD LOCATED THE COCAINE ON THE FLOORBOARD OF THE FRONT PASSENGERâS SIDE SEAT. AT THAT TIME, BOTH PASSENGER AND DEFENDANT WERE SECURED IN HANDCUFFS, AND THE DRIVER/DEFENDANT WAS SEATED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE, SO I COULD INTERVIEW THEM SEPARATELY. I SPOKE WITH THE PASSENGER, MS LAVENA MEYERS. SHE WAS READ HER MIRANDA RIGHTS, VIA A PREPRINTED, AGENCY ISSUED CARD, AND ASKED IF SHE UNDERSTOOD HER RIGHTS, AND IF SHE WOULD CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH ME. MS MEYERS ADVISED THAT SHE DID UNDERSTAND HER RIGHTS, AND WOULD CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH ME. MS MEYERS STATED THAT THE AS SHE AND THE DEFENDANT HAD SEEN MY VEHICLE FOLLOWING THEM, AND THAT THE DEFENDANT HAD HANDED HER A PLASTIC BAGGIE CONTAINING AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE, AND HAD ASKED HER TO PUT IT IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT, WHICH MS MEYERS HAD DONE. I ASKED MS MEYERS HOW THE BAGGIE HAD GOT TO THE FLOORBOARD NEAR WHERE SHE WAS SITTING, TO WHICH SHE ADVISED THAT IT MUST HAVE FALLEN OUT OF THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AS SHE WAS SEARCHING FOR THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT, AND SHE WAS READ HER MIRANDA RIGHTS, VIA A PREPRINTED, AGENCY ISSUED CARD, AND ASKED IF SHE UNDERSTOOD HER RIGHTS, AND WOULD CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH ME. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED THAT SHE DID UNDERSTAND HER RIGHTS, AND WOULD CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH ME AT THIS TIME. THE DEFENDANT WAS ASKED IF THE COCAINE WAS HERS, TO WHICH SHE ADVISED THAT IT WAS. THE DEFENDANT STATED A FRIEND HAD JUST GIVEN IT TO HER PRIOR TO BEING STOPPED. THE DEFENDANT STATED THAT WHEN SHE HAD SEEN MY PATROL VEHICLE FOLLOWING HER, SHE HAD PANICKED AND ASKED THE PASSENGER TO HIDE IT IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. THE DEFENDANT WAS THEN PLACED UNDER ARREST, FOR POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. SHE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY. UPON ARRIVAL, SHE WAS RELEASED TO DETENTION FACILITY STAFF, FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. WHILE ON SCENE, MS MEYERS WAS ASKED TO COMPLETE A SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT REGARDING HER INVOLVEMENT IN THIS INCIDENT, WHICH SHE DID. THIS WAS COLLECTED AND LATER TURNED IN TO CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECORDS DIVISION. THE COCAINE WAS COLLECTED AND LATER WEIGHED AT 1.0 GRAMS. THIS WAS PACKAGED AND LATER TURNED IN TO CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE EVIDENCE DIVISION. THE DEFENDANT WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, WITH HER BOND SET AT $2,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. THE DEFENDANT WAS ISSUED FLORIDA CRIMINAL TRAFFIC CITATION, BEARING CITATION NUMBER 5956GQF8, FOR DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED, WITH A MANDATORY COURT APPEARANCE OF 103113, AT 1300 HOURS. THE DEFENDANT WAS ISSUED A CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WRITTEN WARNING, WARNING NUMBER 353394B, FOR THE EXPIRED VEHICLE REGISTRATION. |
