A Fruitland Park man was arrested for driving without a license in a stolen vehicle found to have cocaine stashed in the door pocket.
A deputy observed a white Chrysler with a blue top which matched the description of a stolen vehicle entered earlier in the shift in Leesburg around 1:18 a.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. A check of the license plate number revealed the vehicle was stolen.
The driver, later identified as 40-year-old Joshua Charles Edwards, was traveling east on County Road 44 from State Road 500 before turning onto Beach View Drive. As the vehicle made a U-turn and began to leave through the entrance of Lake Griffin Harbor Village, a mobile home park and retirement community, a traffic stop was conducted, the report said.
Eddwards was removed from the vehicle and detained. He was listed on the stolen vehicle entry as the suspect in its theft. The other occupants were removed from the car, and the VIN was confirmed as the stolen vehicle, the report said.
After being read his rights, Edwards stated he had been in possession of the vehicle for three to four days. He knew the owner wanted the car back but failed to return it when asked. He also admitted to knowing his license was suspended and that he should not be driving a motor vehicle, the report said.
Deputies tried making contact with the registered owner to remove the vehicle from the scene but were unsuccessful. The vehicle was instead removed via towing, but an inventory was completed prior to this. As a result, a clear baggie containing white powder was discovered in the pocket of the driver’s side door where Edwards was sitting. This later tested positive for cocaine, the report said.
The towing company arrived on scene to take the vehicle, and Edwards was taken into custody. Before getting to jail, he had a medical episode which caused EMS to take him to the hospital. After being medically cleared, he was transported without incident, the report said.
Additionally, a check of Edwards’ driving history showed he had five prior convictions for driving while his license was suspended and seven active suspensions for the same thing, the report said.
Edwards was ultimately charged with grand theft auto, possession of cocaine and driving while license suspended/canceled/revoked (third offense – felony). He was taken to Lake County Jail with bond set at $10,000.