| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: MULLINS, MARVIN 0493 (AR14-12432) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY HAVE IN HER ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, TO WIT: APPROXIMATELY 3.9 GRAMS CANNABIS, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS MARIJUANA, IN AN AMOUNT OF 20 GRAMS OR LESS, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 893.13(6)(B). DID UNLAWFULLY HAVE IN HER ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO USE, OR DID UNLAWFULLY USE, AN OBJECT INTENDED OR DESIGNED FOR USE IN STORING, CONCEALING OR INJECTING, INGESTING, INHALING OR OTHERWISE INTRODUCING INTO THE HUMAN BODY, A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, TO WIT: ONE BLUE AND ORANGE GLASS PIPE USED TO SMOKE MARIJUANA, ONE BLUE AND RED GLASS PIPE USED TO SMOKE MARIJUANA, AND ONE TEAL METAL PIPE USED TO SMOKE MARIJUANA, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 893.147(1). ON 101714 AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 HOURS, I WAS DISPATCHED TO THE VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS (VFW) POST, IN HERNANDO, LOCATED AT 3190 NORTH CARL G ROSE HIGHWAY, AS BACK UP FOR DEPUTY SEFFERN JR (0623), IN REFERENCE TO A SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE. UPON ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH DEPUTY SEFFERN, WHO ADVISED THAT HE WAS CONDUCTING A SECURITY CHECK OF THE AREA, WHEN HE OBSERVED A RED FORD MUSTANG, WITH THE DOORS SHUT AND THE WINDOWS UP, PARKED BEHIND THE VFW. AS HE APPROACHED, HE PARKED HIS PATROL VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND EXITED HIS PATROL VEHICLE. UPON EXITING HIS PATROL VEHICLE, HE SHINED HIS FLASHLIGHT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF THE MUSTANG, WHERE HE OBSERVED TWO ADULT FEMALES INSIDE AND THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. HE OBSERVED THE DEFENDANT, LATER IDENTIFIED AS MS JAMIE RITCHIE, SITTING IN THE DRIVERâS SEAT AND HE IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED THE PASSENGER, LATER IDENTIFIED AS THE CO-DEFENDANT, MS MEGAN MOWAT, HOLDING A BLUE SPARKLY PIPE TO HER MOUTH AND BLOW SMOKE FROM HER MOUTH. THE CO-DEFENDANT QUICKLY TOOK THE PIPE AND PLACED IT INSIDE THE CENTER CONSOLE. DEPUTY SEFFERN APPROACHED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT HE COULD SMELL A STRONG ODOR OF MARIJUANA COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND HE OBSERVED A SMALL FEMALE TODDLER SITTING ON THE CO-DEFENDANTâS LAP. DEPUTY SEFFERN ASKED THE CO-DEFENDANT TO STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH SHE COMPLIED AND THEN HE ASKED THE DEFENDANT TO STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL, WHICH SHE ALSO COMPLIED. AS THE DEFENDANT WAS STEPPING OUT OF THE VEHICLE SHE MADE AN EXITED UTTERANCE THAT THE MARIJUANA WAS HERS. DEPUTY SEFFERN ASKED THE DEFENDANT AND CO-DEFENDANT TO STEP TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SO THAT HE COULD RETRIEVE THE MARIJUANA AND THE PARAPHERNALIA, TO WHICH THEY COMPLIED. DEPUTY SEFFERN LOCATED A BLACK ZIPPER POUCH ON THE DRIVERâS FLOOR BOARD, WHICH CONTAINED A CLEAR PLASTIC BAGGIE THAT CONTAINED A GREEN LEAFY SUBSTANCE, IDENTIFIED AS MARIJUANA THROUGH TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS A BLUE AND ORANGE GLASS PIPE, A BLUE AND RED GLASS PIPE, AND A TEAL METAL PIPE. ALL THREE PIPES HAD RESIDUE INSIDE OF THEM THAT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED AS MARIJUANA. DUE TO THE CO-DEFENDANT HOLDING THE CHILD WHILE SMOKING MARIJUANA, IN A CLOSED VEHICLE, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WAS NOTIFIED AND RESPONDED. MEDIC 101 WITH NATURE COAST EMS ADVISED THAT THE TODDLER WOULD BE TRANSPORTED TO CITRUS MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM FOR EXAMINATION. THE TODDLER IS THE CO-DEFENDANTâS DAUGHTER. AT THAT TIME, THE DEFENDANT WAS PLACED IN THE REAR SEAT OF DEPUTY SEFFERNâS PATROL VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME, I READ THE DEFENDANT HER MIRANDA RIGHTS, VIA AN AGENCY ISSUED PREPRINTED CARD, AND SHE ADVISED SHE UNDERSTOOD HER RIGHTS AND DID WANT TO SPEAK TO ME. I ASKED HER WHAT SHE WAS DOING INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND SHE ADVISED THAT THE CO-DEFENDANT AND SHE WERE SMOKING MARIJUANA. I ASKED HER WHERE SHE GOT THE MARIJUANA FROM AND SHE ADVISED SHE HAD BROUGHT IT FROM HOME. I THEN ASKED HER ABOUT THE PIPES THAT WERE FOUND INSIDE THE BLACK ZIPPER POUCH AND SHE ADVISED THAT THEY WERE HERS. AT THAT TIME, I ADVISED THE DEFENDANT THAT I WAS PLACING HER UNDER ARREST AND CHARGING HER WITH ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (LESS THAN 20 GRAMS OF MARIJUANA), WHICH DEPUTY SEFFERN DID WEIGH ON SCENE UTILIZING A DIGITAL SCALE, WHICH SHOWED A WEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 3.9 GRAMS. I ALSO ADVISED THE DEFENDANT I WAS CHARGING HER WITH ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF PARAPHERNALIA. AT THAT TIME, I TRANSFERRED THE DEFENDANT TO THE REAR SEAT OF MY PATROL VEHICLE AND TRANSPORTED HER TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING, WHERE HER BOND WAS SET AT $2,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. I CONTACTED CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN DETECTIVE BAIRD, WHO ADVISED THAT THE UNIT WOULD BE CONTACTING THE STATE ATTORNEYâS OFFICE NEXT WEEK TO FOLLOW UP ON POSSIBLE CHILD ABUSE CHARGES. THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ABUSE HOTLINE WAS CONTACTED, WHERE I SPOKE TO CASSIE, OPERATOR 427, WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD TAKE A REPORT. WHILE AT THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, I WEIGHED THE CLEAR PLASTIC BAGGIE CONTAINING THE MARIJUANA AGAIN, ON A TRADITIONAL SCALE, AND RECEIVED A WEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 3.9 GRAMS, WHICH WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE DIGITAL SCALE. |
