Two face drug charges

Two women caught using drugs in a truck on Big Pine Key are in jail on drug charges.

A woman called the Sheriff’s Office Saturday at 12:30 p.m. because she was in the vicinity of Watson Field on Big pIne Key and had found a small child wandering around, unsupervised. She told Sheriff’s dispatchers the child appeared to be with two women. She said the two women were sitting in a truck at the park and appeared to be ingesting drugs.

Deputies Seth Hopp and Jennifer Ettish arrived and quietly approached the truck. The two women inside did not realize the deputies were there. The deputies observed a pipe on the center console – the type of pipe used to smoke illegal narcotics.

The women were identified as 29 year old Megan Burrell and 37 year old Heather Reed, both of Summerland Key.

A search of the truck turned up numerous items of drug paraphernalia scattered all over the truck as well as several plastic baggies with the illegal substance MDMA inside – sometimes called “Molly” or Ecstasy.

When questioned about the drugs, each woman claimed the other was the owner of the illegal substances.

Both women were arrested. Burrell was charged with possession with intent to sell MDMA; possession of a controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia. Reed was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and child neglect.

Both women were booked into jail. The child was turned over to the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

Alabama man arrested for attempting to rob his boss

An Alabama man, in the Keys to do roofing work, was arrested in Marathon Friday after he attempted to rob his boss at knifepoint.

When Sgt. Joel Slough arrived on 121st Street in Marathon at 3 p.m., he saw two men, one inside a truck and one standing outside leaning into it. Three more men walked out of a residence, one was visibly injured, bleeding from his hand. After more deputies arrived as back up, details began to emerge about what happened.

The victim was identified as 51 year old Alan Armstrong. He said he and the other men are in town doing roofing work. He said they all left work early and returned to their residence in Marathon together. He said 18 year old Samwon Zeine was asking to be paid for the week. Armstrong told him he’d been paid last week and would be paid again next week. Zeine reportedly demanded money from Armstrong, pulling a box cutter and threatening to cut him with it.

Zeine’s older brother was there and saw what happened. He managed to get his brother outside and the victim closed and locked the door, calling the Sheriff’s Office. The older brother told Sgt. Slough he was injured when he tried to disarm his brother.

Samwon Zeine was arrested. He was charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault. He was booked into jail.

Wanted man faces further drug, gun charges

A Key Largo man, wanted on a warrant, was arrested Friday night. During the arrest, he was found in possession of illegal narcotics and a stolen revolver.

Deputy Cody Kerns and Sgt. Scott Ward went to a residence on Silver Springs Drive in Key Largo Friday at 11:30 p.m. to serve a warrant on Sonny Santamaria. Santamaria was wanted on charges of theft and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Santamaria was living in a shed in the back of the residence. The officers made contact with him. He initially identified himself by a false name. They knew who he was through previous law enforcement contacts and confronted him with the false information he had given them.

Santamaria was arrested. While he was being taken into custody, he managed to reach around to his waistband and threw two items to the ground. Those items were later identified as a plastic bag with cocaine inside and a revolver, fully loaded. A check on the gun’s serial number revealed it had been reported stolen on January 17th from a home on Silver Springs Drive.

Santamaria was charged with the warrant; he also faces charges of possession of a weapon and ammunition by a convicted felon, grand theft of a firearm, two counts of resisting arrest, possession of cocaine and two counts of tampering with evidence.

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