A homeless woman in Lady Lake was arrested on drug charges after officers found unprescribed pills in her backpack during a traffic stop.
A deputy spotted a red motorcycle with a male driver and a female passenger, later identified as 38-year-old Amber Nichole Morales, traveling northbound on U.S. Hwy. 27 near Griffin Road in Leesburg around 10:50 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Because the motorcycle had no visible license plate, the deputy attempted to catch up and conduct a traffic stop. It turned off the roadway and onto the sidewalk coming to a stop. The deputy then pulled in front of the motorcycle and detained the driver for traffic-related offenses, the report said.
Meanwhile, Morales continuously put her hands in her pockets after being told not to do so. She was told this multiple times before being detained for officer safety, the report said.
While waiting for another LCSO unit to arrive, the deputy asked the pair if they had anything illegal on their person. Morales said she had marijuana in her pocket which was disproven by a search. However, she was also carrying a backpack that led the deputies to another search, the report said.
The deputies found seven pills inscribed with IP101 inside the backpack. These were identified as Gabapentin, a medication used to treat nerve pain that Morales did not have a prescription for. Also found were two baggies containing what Morales described as methamphetamine “cream” and another small baggie with a crystal-like substance, the report said.
Additionally, Morales had multiple baggies and cut straws with clear crystal residue. These crystalline substances tested positive for methamphetamine, although there was such a small amount that most of it was used for the test, the report said.
Morales later explained that the “cream” was weak and not good, so she did not have anymore and did not want to get charged with it. The deputy stated that because there was such a small amount of the drug, she would not be, the report said.
Morales was ultimately charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (Gabapentin) and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $1,500.
