A 27-year-old Ocala woman was arrested after a deputy found drugs, needles, and a glass pipe inside of her bag during a traffic stop.
On Wednesday at around 11 p.m., a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy was conducting a patrol near the intersection of SW 110th Avenue and SW 151st Place in Dunnellon when a vehicle was observed driving past a stop sign without slowing.
The deputy pulled over the vehicle and smelled marijuana. The driver admitted to having smoked marijuana in the vehicle before.
The driver and the passengers were asked to exit the vehicle for a search, and they all stated that they did not have any illegal substances inside the vehicle.
According to the MCSO report, the deputy spotted a black leather bag on the floorboard directly behind the front passenger seat.
The bag contained a clear rock-like substance, a metal spoon with powdered residue, two used needles, and a glass pipe. The rock-like substance and residue later field tested positive for methamphetamine.
One of the passengers, Amanda Lynn Thurston, told the deputy that the bag belonged to her.
Thurston stated that one of the passengers asked to put some “stuff” into her bag, and she refused. She stated that the other passenger must have slipped those items inside.
Thurston was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where she is currently being held on $1,000 bond. She is facing a felony charge for drug possession and a misdemeanor charge for drug paraphernalia.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on January 11, 2022, according to jail records.