ABBEVILLE, AL (WSFA) -
A Henry County Sheriff's Deputy found more than he bargained
for at a traffic stop in Abbeville late Saturday night.
Sgt. Jesse Ingram stopped a Gray Mitsubishi Eclipse
traveling southbound on U.S. 432 in Abbeville Saturday night for a minor
traffic violation.
Sgt. Ingram was in the process of issuing the driver,
30-year-old Mariea Smith of Midland City, a warning citation when he detected a
strong odor of marijuana coming from the inside of the vehicle. Sgt. Ingram
also noticed that two male passengers in the vehicle were extremely nervous
considering it was only a traffic stop.
The three vehicle occupants were asked to step out of the
car for a probable cause search for contraband. One of the passengers,
31-year-old Anthony Darrell Smith of Midland City, told authorities that the
trunk of the vehicle wouldn't open. Sgt. Ingram still attempted to open the
truck and Smith stepped forward again, this time asking that the deputy not
open the trunk because he did not want to wake his 5-year-old son sleeping
inside.
Once open, authorities did find a 5-year-old asleep in the
vehicle's trunk. The boy was sleeping on top of a plastic garbage bag that
contained what they determined to be more than two pounds of a
"high-grade" marijuana.
Mariea, Anthony and the third occupant, 23-year-old Jerome
Jackson of Dothan, were taken into custody and charged with first degree possession
of marijuana.
Authorities also immediately notified the Alabama Department
of Human Resources. DHR is now involved in the ongoing investigation with Henry
County Sheriff's Deputies.
For more information and to see photos of the suspects click HERE to visit the Dothan Community Page.
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