Baby Pulls Cocaine From Woman’s Shirt During Routine Traffic Stop

You can always count on kids to screw you over. Whether it’s saying the wrong thing at the wrong time or pulling things out that you’d much rather keep hidden, you definitely don’t want little ones around when you’re trying to remain inconspicuous. A Florida woman learned this lesson harshly when an 11-month-old boy pulled a bag full of cocaine from a woman’s shirt during a routine traffic stop in Daytona Beach.

1. Volusia County Sherriff’s deputies stopped the car for traffic violations. While no one likes getting pulled over, you can generally assume that a stop like this will be over and done with and you’ll likely get away with just a ticket. Not so here, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.
2. The occupants of the car were acting pretty suspicious. The car driven by Daniel Dougherty had dark tinted windows and an open trunk with an unsecured bicycle and Volusia County deputies noticed that Dougherty seemed nervous and that his voice was cracking and his hands were shaking. Officers then asked for the licenses of Dougherty, front seat passenger Candyce Harden, and Crystal Matthews, who was sitting in the back of the car with the baby.
3. K-9 dogs were called to the scene soon after. Officers found that Matthews was on “Florida Inmate Release status” and had been in prison for the sale, manufacture, or delivery of cocaine. That’s why the dogs were called in to check the car and the passengers were asked to step outside.
4. Harden was holding the baby during the search. They almost got off scot-free as the dogs found nothing inside the car. Unfortunately, the baby took that time to reach into Harden’s shirt and pull out a baggie full of cocaine. A second search of the car found three more baggies and pills, ClickOrlando reports.
5. Harden was arrested and charged. She was booked and charged with child abuse, possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of pills without prescription, possession of paraphernalia and smuggling contraband into a prison facility. She was released after posting $4,500 bail.