The following information was taken from reports by the Richmond Hill Police Department.
March 7
Possession of marijuana — A vehicle traveling south on Highway 25 near Sommer Boulevard made a U-turn in front of an RHPD officer, causing the officer to slam on his brakes.
The officer initiated a traffic stop in front of Arby’s and asked the driver for his license. The officer saw a lit cigar in the car as if it was used to cover up an odor. The driver said he saw the officer’s car but thought he had the green light; the officer said he also had the green light and the driver was supposed to yield.
The driver said he couldn’t locate his license. When he got out of the vehicle at the officer’s request, the driver said he had nothing in the vehicle the officer needed to be aware of. The officer investigated the driver’s information.
When another officer arrived, the responding officer again asked the driver if he could search the car. The driver gave his consent. While the other officer patted down the driver, the responding officer searched the vehicle and found cigar fillings, rolling papers and a spray that is used to mask marijuana odor. The second officer also found rolling papers on the driver in his coat pocket.
When the responding officer again asked the driver if there was any contraband in the vehicle, the driver said he didn’t know why his vehicle was being searched in the first place. The responding officer reminded the driver that he gave consent. The driver did not recant the consent, saying he just wanted to get to his destination if his license was good.
Because of the driver not being clear on the search question, the responding officer stopped the search and deployed the narcotics canine from his patrol vehicle. The ensuing free-air sniff led the canine to the driver’s side rear-door seam. The officer then continued the vehicle search.
The officer found a plastic container under the front passenger seat. The container had plastic baggies with what appeared to be marijuana. The driver was arrested for possession with intent to sell and/or distribute, and transported to Bryan County Jail without incident.
March 8
Theft by shoplifting — An RHPD officer went to CVS Pharmacy for a report of possible shoplifter.
The CVS clerk told the officer that a female walked out of the store with items under her arm. When the clerk tried to approach the female, she said, the female started to run.
The clerk took a picture of the female’s tag number.
The officer reviewed the video of the female’s exit and investigated the tag number. From that, the officer was able to get a name and a description of the vehicle.
The officer also was able to get two phone numbers for the suspect, but did not reach her at either one. The items taken, a pack of UNO Blister Pack and Fun on the Go assortment, totaled $13.98 in value.