Reckless driver complaint leads to drug bust

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Staff reports

A Santa Rosa County Deputy on April 21 responded to a reckless driver complaint near Garcon Point Bridge, and following the related traffic stop Navarre woman was busted for drugs.

According to the arrest report, the complainant had told SRSO dispatch that a white female was in front of him in the toll booth line and appeared to be intoxicated or high. Dispatch also advised that the vehicle was reportedly running off the road and into oncoming traffic. A description of the suspect’s vehicle was also reported.

The responding officer observed the suspect vehicle and turned around to get behind it. He then observed it run off the shoulder of the road twice and initiated a traffic stop for failure to maintain a single lane.

The officer approached driver, who was later identified as 30-year-old Melanie Horne, of the 2200 block of Avenida De Sol, and observed her to be “unsteady on her feet” when she initially exited the vehicle.

Police discovered that her driver’s license has several active suspensions, and she was listed as a habitual traffic violator as of January 9. A search of her person and vehicle was conducted during the course of the traffic stop.

During a search of the vehicle a brown plastic grocery bag was discovered in the passenger’s side floorboard and contained the following:

– 341.5 white pills (Imprint G3722, Alprazolam schedule 3 controlled substance)

– two individually packaged baggies of crack cocaine (total weight 2.8 grams)

– two individually packaged baggies of Methamphetamine (total weight 4.5 grams)

–  two individually packaged baggies of marijuana (total weight approximately 14.6 grams)

– 15.0 grams of unknown white powder

– several baggies commonly used to package narcotics

– digital scale

– five used and unused hypodermic syringes

– one loaded hypodermic syringe

– a cut straw

– other miscellaneous drug paraphernalia

 

Horne was read her Miranda warning. According to the arrest report, she told police she does not use narcotics and said the vehicle is a rental and that a friend from Pensacola rented it.

 

Horne was booked into Santa Rosa County Jail on a third-degree felony charge of driving while license suspended habitual offender, a second-degree felony charge of possession of cocaine with intent to sell/manufacture/deliver, second-degree felony charge possession of meth with intent to sell/manufacture/deliver, a second-degree felony charge possession of heroin with intent to sell/manufacture/deliver, a third-degree felony charge of possession of marijuana with intent to sell/manufacture/deliver, a third-degree felony charge of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and a first-degree misdemeanor charge of drug equipment possession. She was issued a $45,500 bond for the charges and as 8:30 a.m. on April 24 remained in jail.