A Leesburg woman was arrested for drug possession after her nervous behavior tipped off law enforcement to its presence during a traffic stop.
Police observed a silver vehicle with heavily tinted windows traveling on North State Road 19 at about 8:02 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Eustis Police Department. A traffic stop was conducted with the vehicle coming to a stop at the Shell gas station on 1905 N. State Road 19.
The officer spoke with the driver, 51-year-old Adele Theresa Gagnon, and explained the reason for the stop, the report said. She stated that she was aware the windows were dark because her friend installed them backwards. The officer was initially unable to measure the tint due to a large pit bull growling at him from the rear seats of the vehicle, but they were dark enough that he could not see inside.
During the conversation, dispatch informed the officer that Gagnon fled from law enforcement three months prior. When asked about the incident, Gagnon advised her vehicle was stolen. She hesitated to answer as the officer asked more questions. She claimed to have located the stolen vehicle on her own. However, the officer was unable to find a report referencing the vehicle being stolen, the report said.
The officer observed several nervous behavior cues as he spoke to Gagnon, including shallow breathing. She denied having anything illegal in the vehicle and initially consented to a search. She quickly changed her mind and stated she was in a rush. Due to her nervous behavior, the officer advised that he would call a K-9 unit to the scene, the report said.
The officer then asked Gagnon if she was lying about having anything illegal on her. She looked away and took a deep breath before leaning outside the window as if attempting to whisper something. She finally stated that she was in possession of a crack pipe, the report said.
Gagnon claimed that she visited a doctor who recommended she smoke crack cocaine to maintain her balance. She stated she needed the cocaine to work and was currently on any medications, the report said.
The officer asked Gagnon to hand over the pipe, which she did, the report said. It was glass with Brillo inside. The officer was aware Brillo was commonly used to smoke crack cocaine. The officer also asked Gagnon if she had any crack cocaine on her. She again took a deep breath and looked away, to which the officer stated he knew she was lying due to her behavior. She handed the officer a white rock-like substance. This tested positive for cocaine, the report said.
Gagnon and her dog then exited the vehicle at the officer’s request. This allowed him to measure the tint, which read at 3 percent on the front passenger window. Florida law dictates front side
windows must measure at more than 28 percent, and back side and rear windows must allow more than 15 percent of light in the vehicle. The report noted all windows appeared to be at the same percentage.
A search of the vehicle was conducted, during which a purse with Gagnon’s name on it was found on the front passenger seat. Inside were multiple items including used Brillo, burnt spoons and metal tools used as a push rod, the report said.
Gagnon was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and drug possession. She was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $3,000 bond.
