A Leesburg man was arrested on drug charges when the car he was a passenger in was pulled over in Eustis for having an expired registration.
Trevondisio Tashod Hendrix, 25, of 9637 Variety Tree Road, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of THC oil, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and possession of drug equipment during the traffic stop, which happened just before midnight Monday near Dewitt Court and Citrus Avenue.
Hendrix, who was in the back seat, was one of three men in the vehicle. The Eustis Police officer who conducted the traffic stop observed Hendrix had what appeared to be a red and black drink can clutched tightly in his hand and had a nervous expression on his face, according to the police report.
Asked if there was anything illegal in the car – such as guns, drugs, paraphernalia, etc. – the driver said there was none, and he denied consent to search the vehicle. All three men said they did not have medical marijuana cards, the report said.
A K-9 officer arrived on the scene and conducted a free-air sniff of the vehicle. While that was going on, the other officer patted down the driver and front-seat passenger and did not find anything. The officer then requested Hendrix get out of the vehicle. When Hendrix opened the door, the officer saw a capped syringe resting in the doorsill in plain view, according to the report.
Based on Hendrix’s nervousness and the location of the syringe, the officer had reasonable suspicion the syringe was used to inject illegal narcotics and placed Hendrix under arrest. Further inspection of the syringe showed it contained a small amount of a crystal-like substance that is consistent with methamphetamine, the report said.
During a search of the vehicle, a blue pipe commonly used to smoke marijuana was found in the center console. Hendrix told one of the officers the red and black drink can was a clandestine container and it contained a small amount of marijuana. The officer twisted off the top part of the container, revealing a plastic baggie containing a small amount of a green leafy substance that appeared to be marijuana, according to the report.
A backpack was found in the back seat, within reach of Hendrix, and it contained a black scale with crystal-like residue on it. Also in the bag was a folded white piece of paper that had a brown wax-like substance stuck to it. Based on past experience, the officer believed the substance was THC oil, which is also called “dabs.” Two more syringes were found in a green purse in the back seat, the report said.
After being read his Miranda warning, Hendrix agreed to speak with police. He admitted to using methamphetamine but said he only smokes it. He said he would not be surprised if the substance in the syringe tested positive for meth. Asked if he saw the syringe when he got in the vehicle, Hendrix said he didn’t. He admitted the backpack was his and also admitted to using THC oil. He said the brown substance was THC oil, but he thought it was all gone, according to the report.
The green leafy substance tested positive for marijuana, while the brown wax-like substance tested positive for high-level THC. The substance in the syringe tested positive for methamphetamine, the report said.
The driver of the vehicle received a verbal warning for the expired registration, while Hendrix was taken to the Lake County Jail. Hendrix has six prior arrests since 2014, and he was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia in 2016. He was released Tuesday on $6,000 bond and will appear in Lake County Court on April 19.
