Suspect taken to hospital in Leesburg in deeper trouble after removing his pants

A suspect in a traffic stop who was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital landed in deeper trouble after removing his pants at the medical facility.

An officer observed 59-year-old Eugene Tyrone Smith of Lake Wales driving a white sedan without a white tag light on West North Boulevard around 12:20 a.m. Thursday, July 10, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The plate was not visible from 50ft, so he stopped the vehicle near the Roadway Inn, located at 1115 W North Blvd.

The vehicle continued to slow roll, making a right turn onto Perkins Street before turning into the Leesburg Square Plaza. It came to rest between a series of parked vehicles. The officer approached Smith, who identified himself as “Tyrone G. Earl” with an incorrect birth date, the report said. 

 “Tyrone” advised that he did not have his driver’s license on him and left it in the hotel room. The officer asked if he had any documentation on him that confirmed his information, but he did not. Dispatch was unable to find any identification of the name and birth date given, the report said. 

A short time later, dispatch found Smith’s identity and told the officer. He also learned Smith had an active Hillsborough County warrant for failing to appear for failure to appear (felony petit theft). A check of his driving history showed he did not have a license and had an extreme plethora of traffic violations, suspensions, cancellations and revocations between 2005 and 2014, the report said. 

Meanwhile, a K-9 unit with the Fruitland Park Police Department came to the scene to assist. The officers scanned Smith’s fingerprint to confirm his identity, and the K-9 sniffed around the outside of his vehicle. A positive alert to the odor of narcotics led to a search of the vehicle, the report said. 

The officers subsequently found Smith’s wallet with a Florida ID card bearing his name. There were also two glass smoking pipes with burnt narcotic residue under the driver’s seat, the report said. 

Smith was then taken to the LPD for the booking process. While there, he had a medical complaint which resulted in him being taken to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, located at 600 E Dixie Ave. He was being treated by medical staff when a flip-top style baggie fell out from underneath his groin while taking off his pants, the report said. 

The baggie contained a white rock-like substance that weighed 1.55 grams and tested positive for cocaine. There was a separate tied-off baggie, as well, which weighed 2.31 grams and tested positive for methamphetamine, the report said. 

Smith was ultimately charged with possession of crack, possession of methamphetamine, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended with knowledge (second conviction), tampering or fabricating physical evidence and false ID to law enforcement officer. The Delaware native was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $9,700.