A Leesburg man and woman were arrested after drugs were found in their vehicle during a traffic stop.
Stephen Alton Dawkins, 40, of 33619 Summit Ave., was charged with possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone), while Amalia Cristle Mari Ortiz, 36, of 33104 Easy St., was charged with possession of methamphetamine, trafficking a controlled substance (fentanyl), and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday, a Lake County sheriff’s deputy was headed north on County Road 473 near the intersection with Poe Street in Leesburg when he observed a 2001 Ford F1 truck that appeared to be going faster than the posted speed limit of 45 mph. Radar showed the vehicle was traveling 56 mph, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of County Roads 473 and 44 and Dawkins – who was behind the wheel of the pickup – pulled into a gas station parking lot. While the deputy was running the occupants’ ID information, a K9 unit conducted a free-air sniff of the vehicle. The dog gave a positive alert for the odor of narcotics, the report said.
Dawkins was asked to get out of the vehicle, and a search of his person turned up a clear plastic bag containing six round pink pills with the inscription, “K56.” Without being questioned, Dawkins told the deputies there were more pills in the center console of the vehicle. The deputy found four round pills with the inscription, “10/RP.” Using a drug identification website, the deputy determined all the pills were 10 mg of oxycodone, which is a controlled substance available by prescription only, according to the report.
The deputy then asked Ortiz to get out of the back seat. After she stepped out of the vehicle, the deputy found a clear plastic bag containing a white rock-like substance on the floorboard, directly where Ortiz’s feet had been. The substance tested positive for cocaine, the report said.
Among Ortiz’s belongs were several hypodermic needles, commonly used to inject intravenous drugs. Several of the needles were “loaded” and held mixtures of clear liquids, while others contained blood and liquids. One needle’s liquid tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the report.
Asked if she had anything else illegal, Ortiz said she had a “tube” in her pants. She then pulled out a long cylindrical object that held a pink/purple powder substance that tested positive for fentanyl. The substance weighed about 10 grams, which is well above the required fentanyl trafficking weight of four grams, the report said.
Dawkins and Ortiz were both taken to the Lake County Jail. Dawkins is being held on $2,000 bond, while Ortiz is being held on $103,000 bond. Both are due to appear in Lake County Court at 8:30 a.m. May 9.
