On Sunday night officer Danny Hutchins conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the 1300 block of Austin Avenue due to expired tags.
In a police report of the incident, Hutchins asked the driver to step out of the vehicle and walk to the back. Once on the side street, Hutchins asked the driver, identified as 26-year-old Jeremy Drake of Brownwood, about a passenger in the vehicle that Hutchins had dealt with previously in an illegal narcotics case.
The report says that Hutchins asked Drake if the passenger had any illegal drugs inside of the vehicle & Drake said that he did not think so. Drake consented to a search of the vehicle and to be patted down.
Officer Hutchins discovered a small black tube that Drake identified as “mentos” in his pocket. Drake was hesitant to let the officer open the container at first. Hutchins shook the container and could hear something inside at which Drake said, “see you can hear the mentos,” according to police reports. Drake consented to the officer opening the container and the “mentos” contained three Q-tips and a small straw containing a substance believed to be meth according to reports.
Upon searching the vehicle, officer Hutchins found marijuana pipes, a marijuana seed, a small piece of marijuana, and a small bag believed to contain meth according to police reports.
As Drake was being handcuffed, Hutchins also found a cigarette box containing more drugs and paraphernalia police reports indicate. Drake was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance greater than or equal to 4 grams but less than 200 grams.
One of the two passengers, 28-year-old Kathalina Blanco of Brownwood, was also arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance greater than or equal to 1 gram but less than 4 grams. Officers found a small bag of what they believed to be meth in the back floorboard of the patrol car where Blanco had been sitting according to reports.
The other passenger was released.
Drake was held and released on $25,000 bond while Blanco was held and released on $10,000 bond.
–In an unrelated case, Brownwood police officers were called on Sunday evening to residence on a disturbance call. On the scene, 23-year-old Matthew Strosnider was arrested on outstanding warrants from Llano County for Failure to Appear.
–In another unrelated incident, police were called to the 700 block of Bond Street on Monday regarding theft of service. The lock on the water meter had been cut and water was being used at the residence. The meter had been locked by the city for non-payment.
