A Leesburg couple was arrested for drug possession after unsuccessfully trying to hide baggies of methamphetamines from law enforcement and a K-9 unit during a traffic stop.
Police spotted 46-year-old Laura Ann Holtzer driving a gray 2014 Hyundai Versa without a seatbelt on County Road 44 at 12:26 a.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The officer initiated a traffic stop at the Kangaroo, located at 10030 CR 44, and made contact with Holtzer and her passenger, 53-year-old Douglas George Brown. He was also not wearing a seatbelt at the time, the report said.
While writing a written warning for the seat belt violation, the officer requested assistance from a K-9 unit. Upon its arrival, a free air sniff was conducted around the vehicle. The K-9 alerted on the front passenger door, the report said.
Brown was removed from the passenger seat and patted down for weapons. He consented to the officer searching his pockets, but then he tried to flee from the officer and began grabbing at his waistband to pull something out. He continued to resist deputies, all the while trying to retrieve something from his waistband area, the report said.
Due to this, the officer began delivering distractor blows to Brown’s midsection to bring him down to the ground. Brown was still resisting officers by balling up his fists and concealing his hands, the report said.
The officer responded by deploying his taser with little results as Brown continued to resist. At that point, the taser was deployed for a second time, striking Brown with another set of probes. He was then secured, the report said.
Deputies noticed a plastic baggie containing a crystal-like substance on the ground by Brown’s feet, the report said. This had been balled up in his hand, but the officer recognized it to be methamphetamine.
While Brown was resisting deputies, the K-9 handler watched Holtzer attempt to shove a small black container underneath the passenger seat. She was removed from the vehicle and secured in handcuffs while the officer searched under the seat, the report said.
Inside the container, the officer found two plastic baggies containing more crystal substance suspected to be methamphetamine. Also found was a cut plastic straw with residue inside, known to be used in the snorting of narcotics, the report said.
All substances were then tested and had positive results for methamphetamine, the report said.
EMS arrived on scene and cleared Brown before both parties were arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail. Brown was charged with possession of methamphetamine and resisting arrest, while Holtzer was charged with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She was also issued a citation for the seatbelt violation. Both were released after posting their respective $3,000 bonds.
