A man with a criminal history was arrested after throwing a lit cigarette near propane tanks at 7-Eleven while carrying drugs in his backpack.
An officer observed 38-year-old Jed Appleton riding a bicycle to 7-Eleven, located at 2058 U.S. Hwy. 27/441, at 3:45 p.m. Aug. 10, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
Appleton then stepped off his bicycle and lit a cigarette. He took several drags from it before throwing it on the ground, still lit, in the parking lot. The report noted he was standing about 15 feet away from two large propane storage cabinets and a receptacle for throwing away used cigarettes.
The officer waited as Appleton went into the store with a black backpack in his left hand. After several minutes, he went inside to talk to Appleton. He asked if Appleton had anything illegal, to which he stated he did not and emptied his pockets, the report said.
However, the officer noticed Appleton did not have his backpack and asked where it was. Appleton advised that it was inside the store but did not have anything illegal in it. During the conversation, he said he could “grab some weed out of the backpack” and give it to the officer, the report said.
This prompted a search of the backpack. The officer found two large knives, multiple cell phones and a clear plastic sandwich bag. In this bag were pieces of suspected marijuana, another baggie with methamphetamine and two pieces of folded aluminum foil containing fentanyl, the report said.
Appleton was subsequently handcuffed as he claimed to be borrowing the backpack from a friend. He also stated a Nokia phone in the backpack was his, but due to it being found amongst other phones and narcotics, it was impossible for him to not know about the illicit substances. He maintained the backpack was not his and that he could give the name of the person who owned it, the report said.
Appleton was charged with possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine and disposing of lit cigarette. He was transported to Lake County Jail to be held without bond.
He was also arrested in July for hiding a SIM card under his hat to steal it from Walmart.