A Leesburg woman and Eustis man were arrested on drug charges during a traffic stop Friday night.
Holly Jean Groves, 52, of 11135 County Road 44 in Leesburg, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) without a prescription, while 50-year-old Danny Baldwin, of 222 E. Atwater Ave. in Eustis, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) without a prescription and possession of drug equipment.
At approximately 11:51 p.m. Friday, a Eustis police officer saw a blue Hyundai traveling west on CR 44 near CR 19A. The right-rear tail light was very dim but still lit. The officer followed the vehicle as it stopped at the red light at CR 44 and CR 452. At that point the tail light was not illuminating at all, according to the police report.
The officer continued to follow the vehicle on CR 44 and saw it veer towards the right fog line. After the vehicle hit the line about three times, the officer conducted a traffic stop at 2505 CR 44, the report said.
The officer spoke to the driver, Groves, who said her vehicle was veering towards the fog line because the front-right tire has a nail in it that was causing it to pull right. She said the right-rear tail lamp has a fuse or shortage that causes it to go out frequently, according to the report.
The officer observed a black male, later identified as Baldwin, sitting in the front passenger seat. Baldwin was leaned back and avoiding eye contact throughout the traffic stop. When a backup officer arrived at the scene, the first officer asked Groves to step out of the vehicle, the report said.
Asked if she would consent to a search of her vehicle, Groves was hesitant at first, saying she didn’t have anything illegal but wasn’t sure about Baldwin. She ultimately gave permission to search the vehicle. Baldwin was asked to step out of the vehicle, and he denied consent to let an officer search him. Asked if there was anything illegal on is person, Baldwin said no but the officer could tell by his facial expression that he was holding back information, according to the report.
The officer asked Baldwin again if he had anything illegal, including drug paraphernalia. Baldwin reached into his pocket and the officer heard a glass pipe make a sound in his hand. The officer told Baldwin he knew he had a pipe on him and Baldwin confessed and handed it to the officer, the report said.
Now with probable cause, the officer searched Baldwin and found in his pocket a small plastic bag containing a crystalized substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. Baldwin was placed under arrest, according to the report.
The other officer searched the vehicle and found a tan women’s wallet on the front driver floorboard. Inside the purse were numerous credit cards with Groves’ name on them. In between the cards was a cellophane wrapper containing a crystallized substance that also tested positive for methamphetamine, the report said.
Baldwin and Groves were taken to the Leesburg Police Department for booking. While at the police station, Baldwin said all of the methamphetamine was his, but he couldn’t explain how some of it ended up in Groves’ wallet, according to the report.
Baldwin is being held in the Lake County Jail on $3,000 bond, while Groves was released early Sunday on $2,000 bond. Both will appear in Lake County Court on June 27.
