A Leesburg man was arrested for drug possession after bringing meth to “hang out” with a pregnant teenager at a park in Eustis.
Police observed a maroon vehicle parked near Sunset Island Skate Park, located at 301 West Ward Avenue, at about 11:23 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Eustis Police Department.
As the officer approached from the passenger side, he observed three occupants, including 58-year-old Douglas Mark Huffman, a male front passenger and a 15-year-old pregnant rear passenger. He also noticed the strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle, the report said.
When asked why they were in the park, the front passenger advised he was about to go skateboarding and was waiting on a friend. The occupants were also asked for valid medical marijuana cards due to the odor, but none of them had one. The officer then asked all of the occupants to step out of the vehicle so he could conduct a search, the report said.
Inside of a brown backpack, the officer found a small amount of marijuana, a scale and a marijuana grinder. A glass pipe with a white crystal-like substance was located in the cup holders of the center console, as well, the report said.
At that point, Huffman and the front passenger were detained for drug paraphernalia. The passenger denied knowledge of the pipe and stated the bag belonged to the juvenile. Indeed, Huffman admitted the pipe was his, and the juvenile claimed ownership of the marijuana, the report said.
A K-9 unit then arrived on scene to assist in searching the vehicle, the report said. It found a clear plastic jar containing a crystal-like substance. This tested positive for methamphetamine.
The officer proceeded to question Huffman about what his intentions were at the park. Throughout the interview, Huffman was sweating profusely, and his answers did not make much sense. He advised that he wanted to hang out with the passenger and juvenile, who he knew was underage and pregnant. It was very apparent that marijuana was inside the vehicle due to the strong smell. Still, Huffman stated he was only aware of the methamphetamine and paraphernalia, the report said.
The Virginia native was ultimately arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $4,000 bond.
