Eureka Police arrested a 29-year-old St. Louis man for alleged possession of a large amount of marijuana during a traffic stop. The suspect reportedly was found with more than 112 grams of marijuana, as well as a book that had a list of names and how much money each person owed him, police reported.
Officers got a call around 11:40 p.m. Dec. 18 about a white pickup seen driving on Southern Hills Drive. While responding to the area, an officer saw the pickup driving away from the neighborhood east on Legends Parkway, the report said.
The officer made a U-turn to pursue the pickup, but a black 2020 Chevrolet Malibu got between his cruiser and the pickup. When the officer turned on his cruiser’s lights, the man driving the Malibu allegedly sped up and passed the pickup using the westbound lane on Legends Parkway, according to the report.
Other Eureka Police officers responded to the area, and both the pickup and Malibu were pulled over near Palisades View Drive. The officer who originally was pursuing the pickup stopped the Malibu and allegedly smelled burnt marijuana in the car, the report said.
While being questioned, the driver kept reaching for two backpacks in the back seat of the Malibu. The driver said his driver’s license was in one of the bags, but when he looked through them, he could not produce his driver’s license, Eureka Police reported.
The officer eventually identified the driver, who was on probation for weapon and drug violations. The officer told the driver he smelled marijuana, and the suspect reportedly said he had some marijuana in the car. The suspect also said he did not have a medical marijuana card, the report said.
The officer searched the two backpacks and allegedly found two bags containing a green-leafy substance believed to be marijuana, two digital scales, a box of sandwich bags, eight .5-gram premium pre-rolled marijuana cigars and the book with a list of names and dollar amounts owed, according to the report.
The driver was arrested and taken to the Police Station, where he was booked and released pending application for warrants. Depending on results of the drug analysis, Eureka Police will seek charges against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, Lt. Michael Werges said.
Eureka Police did not find anything illegal in the pickup, and the driver of that vehicle was allowed to leave, the report said.