JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 19-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested Sunday night after Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies observed what they say was street racing on San Jose Boulevard — a stop officers say led to the discovery of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a loaded handgun, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
Traffic stop leads to search
The suspect was taken into custody at approximately 9:58 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23 according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Deputies say they were parked outside a bar and grill on San Jose Boulevard when they observed a dark grey Ford Mustang and a black motorcycle line up at the intersection of San Jose Boulevard and Ricky Road.
When the light turned green, officers say both vehicles accelerated at a high rate of speed heading southbound. Deputies initiated lights and sirens and caught up to the Mustang approximately 1.9 miles down the road near San Jose Boulevard and Westberry Road, where the vehicle pulled into a gas station parking lot.
What deputies found
Officers approached the vehicle and identified the driver as the suspect. According to the report, deputies detected an odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. When asked about marijuana in the car, the report states the suspect “hesitated before responding, stating ‘I think so.’”
A subsequent vehicle search turned up the following items, according to the arrest report:
- Four sandwich bags containing marijuana inside a black laptop bag in the back seat
- A scale with residue and a grinder with residue
- Two glass bongs with residue
- A box of sandwich bags and rolling papers
- A marijuana smoking pen found in the suspect’s right front pocket
- A tan Glock 19x handgun inside the glove box, along with three magazines and 111 rounds of 9mm ammunition
- A Glock 19 holster
The total marijuana seized weighed approximately 60 grams, according to the report.
Suspect speaks with deputies
After being read his Miranda rights, the suspect told deputies the marijuana was for personal use, explaining he uses it to help with sleep, anxiety, depression, and back pain…