A 36-year-old Wildwood man is behind bars without bond after he was caught stomping on drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop at a local care center.
The incident unfolded Wednesday night when a Wildwood Police Department officer spotted Michael Rafael Leo Garza driving a vehicle eastbound on County Road 44A. The officer recognized Garza from previous encounters and knew he did not possess a valid driver’s license.
When the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Garza sped up and hastily turned into the parking lot of the Cypress Care Center on Old Wire Road. As the officer pulled in, he observed Garza and a female passenger exiting the vehicle and attempting to switch seats.
As the officer approached, Garza went to the front of the vehicle, threw several items underneath it, and began stomping on them in an attempt to destroy the evidence. The officer quickly detained Garza and recovered the items, which included a piece of tin foil with burn marks, a burnt metal tube, and a hypodermic needle…