A 46-year-old Ocala woman was arrested Tuesday night on drug and child negligence charges after a police officer noticed her acting strangely at a Wawa in Oxford.
Tiffany Michelle Cain had been parked in a green pickup vehicle at the Wawa fuel pumps on US 301 for about an hour, with the driver’s side door open. A Wildwood police officer patrolling the area observed Cain depart the vehicle, begin fuelling, abruptly stop to go inside and pay, resume fuelling for 15 seconds, and then kick a rear tyre before driving away.
Cain was pulled over on County Road 466 after failing to stop at a stop sign. While conversing with Cain, who was sweating profusely, stuttering, and appearing defensive, the officer noticed a two-month-old newborn in a car seat on the back floorboard. The car seat was not attached to the vehicle seat or restrained with a seatbelt. Cain stated she had the infant on the floorboard because it was wailing and required attention.
A police K-9 named Mika was dispatched and detected the presence of narcotics near the driver’s side door. During a check of the vehicle, officers discovered 3.67 grammes of methamphetamine and a glass pipe in a purse just behind the driver’s seat. The drugs were found within 10 inches of the unrestrained infant. Cain confessed that all of the bags in the vehicle belonged to her, and she mentioned that her passenger was a homeless acquaintance who visits her on occasion.
The infant’s parents came on the scene to take possession of the youngster, who was evaluated by EMS and determined to be in good health.
Cain was arrested on felony accusations of child negligence without substantial bodily harm and possession of methamphetamine, as well as misdemeanour possession of drug equipment. She was booked into the Sumter County Detention Centre and was being held on a $11,000 bail.
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