Stolen car search leads to suspect with cocaine hidden in ear

The following incidents were taken from the City of Charleston Police Department’s crime reports within Team 5, which covers Daniel Island, Clements Ferry Road, and parts of Cainhoy, between Oct. 1-15.  

PUBLIC INTOXICATION 

On Oct. 2, police responded to Salt Wedge Drive in reference to a disturbance and trespassing incident. When the officer arrived on the scene, he found a man sitting in the front entryway of the apartment complex. The complainant advised that he had been banging on doors and refusing to leave. The officer detected the odor of alcohol and observed that the individual had glassy eyes and slurred speech. He became hostile toward the maintenance staff, making threats and using profanity. Police instructed him to leave and had him request a rideshare. When the rideshare arrived, the suspect struck the passenger-side window, which led the driver to cancel the ride. Officers then placed the man into custody, arrested him for public intoxication, and transported him to the Berkeley County Detention Center.  

TRAFFIC ARREST 

While patrolling Clements Ferry Road on Oct. 10, an officer noticed a vehicle with an unreadable tag and issued a traffic stop. A check of the driver’s license showed that the license had been suspended, with three convictions. The suspect also had an active bench warrant from Berkeley County. The individual was placed under arrest and transported to the Berkeley County Detention Center.  

DRUG VIOLATION 

On Oct. 12, Team 5 responded to Bennington Drive in reference to a stolen sedan. The vehicle had been parked in the driveway with a cell phone inside. The phone provided a GPS location near Clements Ferry Road, and the vehicle was found parked in a shopping center parking lot. A man was removing items from the vehicle and discarding them into a nearby trash can. The individual was detained. A records check revealed that the suspect had an active warrant with the Mount Pleasant Police Department for shoplifting. The officer noticed that the suspect also had a clear, plastic wrapping pushed inside of his right ear canal. Once removed, a white rock-like substance was removed, which field tested positive for cocaine and weighed 0.4 grams. A glass pipe was recovered from his pants pocket. An arrest was made for possession of cocaine. The owner of the vehicle was an acquaintance and did not wish to pursue charges. 

HIT-AND-RUN COLLISION 

On Oct. 14, Team 5 was dispatched to Clements Ferry Road in reference to a hit and run. A driver was traveling southbound on Clements Ferry Road and approached an intersection at Enterprise Boulevard. There, the driver observed a white SUV roll past the stop sign, and the vehicles collided. After turning around to exchange information, the driver of the SUV fled the scene, heading north on Clements Ferry Road. The complainant’s vehicle sustained minor damage, and there were no injuries. 

IDENTITY THEFT 

An officer responded to Grand Council Street on Oct. 14 in reference to a report of identity theft. The victim advised that on Sept. 8, a telephone account was opened in her name at a big-box retail store and a mobile phone was purchased. A bill with a past due balance of $146.51, plus $1,117 for the phone purchase, was received, though the complainant stated that she had never had an account.