An 18-year-old Leesburg man was arrested on drug and weapons charges outside a Circle K store last weekend.
A pair of Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded shortly after midnight March 28 to the convenience store, located at 2211 Citrus Blvd., where the clerk reported that customers came into the store complaining about the smell of marijuana coming from a vehicle in the corner of the parking lot in front of the no trespassing signs.
Deputies went outside and spoke with Eric Xavier Nunez-Correa, of 1612 Sterns Drive, who was sitting in a gray Mini Cooper. They could smell the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputies asked Nunez-Correa to step out of the vehicle and asked if they could search him. Nunez-Correa said yes at first and then changed his mind. He refused to answer and became argumentative when asked if he had a medical marijuana card, the report said.
Nunez-Correa did not have any marijuana on his person, but since the smell was coming from the vehicle, the deputies searched the vehicle. Under the driver’s seat was a Glock 30 loaded with seven rounds of .45-caliber ammunition but none in the chamber. In the back seat was an open black bag holding a rifle loaded with a 24-round magazine with 29 9mm rounds in it. Attached to the rifle was another 30-round magazine with 9mm rounds, according to the report.
Deputies also found a small glass jar in the center console cup holder with a burnt green leafy substance that field tested positive for marijuana, along with a white container with residue, the report said.
The tag on the vehicle did not match up with the vehicle’s ID number and deputies learned it was unregistered. The vehicle was turned over to a family member who was able to prove ownership, according to the report.
Nunez-Correa was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and one count of possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released later in the day on $5,000 bond. Nunez-Correa will appear in Lake County Court on April 26.
