A woman was arrested for various drug charges after the 11-month-old she was holding pulled a baggie of cocaine out of her shirt during a traffic stop.
The incident took place in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sunday morning after officers pulled a vehicle over for having an open trunk with an unsecured bicycle, and dark tinted windows. According to the report, the deputies of Volusia County said driver Daniel Dougherty seemed nervous, with shaky hands and a cracking voice.
Officers asked all three adults for their licenses – Dougherty, back seat passenger Crystal Matthews, and front-seat passenger Candyce Harden. Matthews was sitting in the back with the little boy. Police did not specify which female was the boy’s mother.
It was learned that Matthews was on the “Florida Inmate Release status” for manufacture, sale and delivery of cocaine.
A K-9 unit checked the vehicle for drugs while the passengers stood nearby. During the search of the vehicle, the child was held by Harden. The vehicle was not found to have any drugs, and the deputy began giving the trio their licenses back. When Harden received her license, the child put his hand inside her shirt and pulled out the cocaine-filled bag.
In a second, more thorough search, deputies found three additional baggies and some pills that had no prescription.
Harden was placed under arrest and charged with the following:
- Possession of paraphernalia
- Two counts of pill possession without a prescription
- Possession of controlled substance
- Smuggling contraband into prison facility
- Possession of cocaine
- Child abuse
She is out of jail after she posted a $4,500 bail. Dougherty and Matthews weren’t arrested and were allowed to leave the scene.