| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: PATTERSON, DEREK 0560 (AR1720) THE DEFENDANT, MS MELANIE L WALTERS, DID UNLAWFULLY INTRODUCE/POSSESS ONTO THE GROUNDS OF A DETENTION FACILITY, CONTRABAND AS DEFINED IN 893.02(4), TO WIT: ONE TABLET OF FLEXORIL, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 951.22(1). THE DEFENDANT, MS MELANIE L WALTERS, DID UNLAWFULLY INTRODUCE/POSSESS ONTO THE GROUNDS OF A DETENTION FACILITY, CONTRABAND AS DEFINED IN 893.02(4), TO WIT: ONE TABLET OF MELOXICAM, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 951.22(1). THE DEFENDANT, MS MELANIE L WALTERS, DID UNLAWFULLY ALTER, DESTROY, CONCEAL OR REMOVE A RECORD, DOCUMENT OR THING, WITH THE PURPOSE TO IMPAIR ITS VERITY OF AVAILABILITY IN PROCEEDINGS AND/OR INVESTIGATIONS, TO WIT: THE DEFENDANT DID INGEST A PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL ITS ENTRY TO A DETENTION FACILITY, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE, 918.13. THE DEFENDANT, MS MELANIE L WALTERS, DID UNLAWFULLY COMMIT BATTERY UPON THE VICTIM BY ACTUALLY AND INTENTIONALLY TOUCHING OR STRIKING SAID PERSON AGAINST SAID PERSON'S WILL, OR BY INTENTIONALLY CAUSING BODILY HARM, TO WIT: THE DEFENDANT DID GRAB THE VICTIM, BY THE GROIN, IN AN AGGRESSIVE MANNER, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 784.03(1)(A)(1). ON 062312 I WAS DISPATCHED TO 5096 WEST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY, LOT 16, IN LECANTO, IN REFERENCE TO A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION THAT HAD JUST OCCURRED. UPON ARRIVAL I MADE CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM, MR STEVEN LOWREY, WHO STATED THAT THE SUSPECT, MS MELANIE WALTERS, HAD RECENTLY MOVED TO CITRUS COUNTY FROM TENNESSEE AS A RESULT OF HAVING BEEN KICKED OUT OF HER RESIDENCE THERE. MR LOWREY CONTINUED THAT MS WALTERS HAD BEEN STAYING AT A NEIGHBORING RESIDENCE FOR THE PAST DAY OR TWO, BUT THAT ON 062312 SHE HAD BEEN KICKED OUT OF THAT RESIDENCE AS WELL. MR LOWREY AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, MS STACY ALLEN, FELT BAD FOR MS WALTERS AND OFFERED TO ALLOW HER TO STAY AT THEIR RESIDENCE OVERNIGHT. DURING THE NIGHT, ALL THREE BEGAN TO DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. WHEN MR LOWREY WENT INTO HIS BEDROOM, MS WALTERS ENTERED, AND ATTEMPTED TO KISS HIM. HE REJECTED HER ADVANCE AND TOLD HER THAT SHE NEEDED TO LEAVE HIS ROOM AND GO SLEEP ON THE COUCH. MS WALTERS THEN BECAME IRATE AND REFUSED TO LEAVE THE ROOM AND SAT ON HIS BED. AT THIS TIME MR LOWREY WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF MS WALTERS, AT WHICH TIME SHE AGGRESSIVELY GRABBED AHOLD OF HIS GROIN AND SQUEEZED, CAUSING HIM TO FALL TO THE FLOOR IN PAIN. AT THAT TIME MS ALLEN INTERVENED AND ORDERED MS WALTERS TO LEAVE THE RESIDENCE; HOWEVER SHE REFUSED TO DO SO. MS ALLEN THEN CALLED 911. MR LOWREY STATED THAT HE DID DESIRE TO PROSECUTE MS WALTERS FOR BATTERY. I ALSO SPOKE WITH MS ALLEN WHOSE VERSION OF EVENTS MIRRORED THOSE OF MR LOWREY. DEPUTY MERRITT AND I THEN ENTERED THE RESIDENCE AND OBSERVED MS WALTERS TO BE SITTING ON THE COUCH IN THE LIVING ROOM. MS WALTERS DENIED HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY TYPE OF ALTERCATION WITH MR LOWREY OR MS ALLEN, AND STATED THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE ANYWHERE THAT SHE COULD GO FOR THE NIGHT. DUE TO CONCERNS THAT FURTHER VIOLENCE WOULD ERUPT IF MS WALTERS WAS LEFT AT THE RESIDENCE, SHE WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST AND HER PERSON WAS SEARCHED, INCIDENT TO THAT ARREST. INSIDE OF MS WALTERSâ FRONT LEFT POCKET I LOCATED TWO RECEIPTS AND A PIECE OF PAPER, ALONG WITH SOME CHANGE, WHICH WAS LEFT IN HER POCKET. I ASKED MS WALTERS IF SHE HAD ANY âGUNS, KNIVES, BAZOOKAS, HANDCUFF KEYS OR DRUGSâ ON HER PERSON, TO WHICH SHE ANSWERED THAT SHE DID NOT. DEPUTY MERRITT THEN TOLD MS WALTERS THAT IF SHE TOOK ANY DRUGS INTO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, THAT SHE WOULD BE CHARGED WITH A FELONY. MS WALTERS ONCE AGAIN INDICATED THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE ANY CONTRABAND ON HER. MS WALTERS WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE SHE WAS TURNED OVER TO CORRECTIONAL STAFF. A SHORT TIME LATER I WAS NOTIFIED BY CORRECTIONAL STAFF THAT PILLS HAD BEEN LOCATED ON MS WALTERS. I THEN SPOKE WITH CORRECTIONAL OFFICER LOCURTO WHO ADVISED ME THAT WHEN SHE ASKED MS WALTERS TO EMPTY HER POCKETS, THAT SHE DISCOVERED TWO PILLS IN THE TRAY WHERE MS WALTERS HAD EMPTIED HER POCKETS. OFFICER LOCURTO STATED THAT PRIOR TO MS WALTERS EMPTYING HER POCKETS, THERE HAD BEEN NO ITEMS IN THE TRAY. OFFICER LOCURTO QUICKLY SEIZED THE PILLS, AT WHICH TIME MS WALTERS GRABBED A HOLD OF HER REMAINING ITEMS AND QUICKLY PLACED THEM BACK INTO HER POCKETS. OFFICER LOCURTO THEN TURNED OVER POSSESSION OF THE PILLS TO ME, AND EXPRESSED HER CONCERN THAT MS WALTERS MAY HAVE HAD ADDITIONAL PILLS ON HER. I THEN ENTERED THE SECURE HOLDING AREA AND ATTEMPTED TO READ MS WALTERS HER MIRANDA WARNINGS VIA A PREPRINTED CARD. AS I ATTEMPTED TO READ THE MIRANDA WARNINGS, MS WALTERS CONTINUOUSLY INTERRUPTED ME AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT SHE WAS NOT WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. CORRECTIONAL OFFICER DADDARIO, A FEMALE OFFICER, THEN ENTERED THE ROOM TO SEARCH MS WALTERS MORE THOROUGHLY. DURING THIS TIME IT WAS NOTED THAT MS WALTERS HAD A YELLOWISH CHALKY SUBSTANCE IN HER MOUTH THAT WAS THE SAME COLOR AS ONE OF THE PILLS THAT HAD BEEN SEIZED FROM HER. MS WALTERS STATED THAT SHE HAD INGESTED ONE FLEXORIL PILL AND DENIED HAVING INGESTED ANY OTHER TYPE OF PILLS. THE NURSE THEN EVALUATED MS WALTERS AND DETERMINED THAT SHE NEEDED TO BE MEDICALLY CLEARED BY THE HOSPITAL. A SHORT TIME LATER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARRIVED AND TRANSPORTED MS WALTERS TO SEVEN RIVERS HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS TREATED BY DOCTOR BEAN. WHILE AT THE HOSPITAL THE TWO PILLS THAT MS WALTERS HAD IN HER POSSESSION WERE IDENTIFIED AS FLEXORIL AND MELOXICAM, NEITHER OF WHICH ARE A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE; HOWEVER BOTH REQUIRE A PRESCRIPTION TO POSSESS. WHILE MEDICAL STAFF WAS DISCUSSING THE PILLS WITH MS WALTERS I OVERHEARD MS WALTERS TELL MEDICAL STAFF THAT SHE HAS NOT HAD PRESCRIPTIONS FOR EITHER PILL IN SOME TIME. ONCE MS WALTERS WAS MEDICALLY CLEARED SHE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY JAIL WHERE SHE WAS CHARGED WITH INTRODUCING CONTRABAND INTO A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, DESTRUCTION/TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE, AND WITH SIMPLE BATTERY. HER TOTAL BOND WAS SET AT $4,500.00, PER THE SCHEDULE. |
