In a bizarre turn of events, a routine traffic stop in Springfield Township, Ohio, led to the arrest of a 55-year-old woman after police discovered her pet raccoon holding a methamphetamine pipe in the driver's seat of her vehicle.
On Monday evening, Officer Austin Branham of the Springfield Township Police Department initiated a traffic stop on South Arlington Road. The vehicle's registered owner, Victoria Vidal, from the nearby town of Akron, had an active warrant and a suspended driver's license. Vidal was reportedly detained without incident.
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However, the situation took an unexpected twist when Officer Branham returned to the vehicle and observed a raccoon, later identified as "Chewy," sitting in the driver's seat with a glass meth pipe in its mouth. This unusual sight prompted a thorough search of the vehicle, leading to the discovery of a "bulk amount of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and three used glass pipes."
Authorities confirmed that Vidal possessed the necessary documentation to legally own the raccoon, as Ohio law permits raccoon ownership with proper permits. Chewy was unharmed during the incident, and officials have not disclosed whether the raccoon will be returned to Vidal's care. In the comments section of their original post, the Springfield Township Police Department included the bodycam video of the incident.
Vidal faces multiple charges, including third-degree felony drug possession, three counts of possessing drug paraphernalia, and a citation for driving under suspension. She was also taken into custody by Cuyahoga Falls Police on her active warrant. Additional charges related to crack cocaine possession are pending lab results.
The Springfield Township Police Department remarked on the unusual nature of the incident, stating, "While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first! No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident. As always, we remain committed to keeping our community safe — no matter what surprises may come our way."
Originally published on Latin Times
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