A Fruitland Park man was arrested on drug charges after he was pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt Friday.
A deputy was traveling behind a white Ford pickup truck on State Road 44 near State Road 19 when he noticed the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The officer then conducted a traffic stop in the Walgreens’ parking lot northeast of the intersection, the report said. The driver, 38-year-old Kellen Randall Krotzer, admitted he did not have his seatbelt on when the officer spoke with him.
A master deputy arrived on scene with his K9 partner as the officer ran Krotzer’s and the passenger’s information. The K9 performed a free air sniff of the vehicle’s exterior and alerted to the odor of narcotics inside the truck, the report said.
All occupants were removed from the truck, and a proper search was conducted, the report said. In the center console, a clear plastic bag with a white crystal substance was found. This later tested positive for methamphetamine.
Krotzer was then secured, the report said. A glass vial that appeared to have meth residue in it was in his right front pocket. This also tested positive for methamphetamine.
While taking Krotzer to his patrol vehicle, the officer noticed another plastic bag with white crystal residue on the ground underneath the front of the patrol car. Krotzer had been standing there while his vehicle was searched. He admitted the narcotics found in the vehicle and on the ground were his after speaking with the officer.
The Pennsylvania native was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $2,000 bond.
