(LOOGOOTEE) – On Wednesday at 6:57 a.m. Martin County Sheriff’s Corporal Reed was on patrol in Loogootee when he observed a vehicle commit a moving violation.
Corporal Reed initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle on West Broadway Street and requested Loogootee Police Chief Kelly Rayhill to assist.
The driver was identified as 37-year-old Candida M. Richie of Vincennes.
Corporal Reed then utilized his narcotics-certified K9 Virka for a free air sniff of the exterior the vehicle. K9 Virka gave a positive indication for the odor of narcotics.
A search of the vehicle resulted in Corporal Reed locating meth and drug paraphernalia.
ISP Trooper Andrew Beaver and ISP Trooper Jarrod Lents also arrived to assist. Richie was arrested on charges of possession of meth and drug paraphernalia and transported to the Martin County Security Center.
On Thursday, at 12:50 a.m, Martin County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Tyler Reed and Deputy Larry Gibson were on patrol in Loogootee. Corporal Reed was on foot patrol when he observed a vehicle commit a moving violation and notified Deputy Gibson.
The vehicle committed a second moving violation observed by both Corporal Reed and Deputy Gibson. Deputy Gibson initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle on Ackerman Drive. Corporal Reed arrived to assist.
The driver was identified as 42-year-old Abraham Wittmer, of Loogootee.
During the traffic stop, Mr. Wittmer appeared extremely nervous when speaking with officers and repeatedly put his hands in his pockets after being told several times not to do so. Wittmer was found to have a suspended driver’s license with a prior conviction.
Corporal Reed asked Mr. Wittmer to exit the vehicle and he complied. Wittmer again put his hands in his pockets and Corporal Reed advised him to stop. Corporal Reed then performed a pat-down for officer safety purposes due to Wittmer’s behavior. Corporal Reed felt a hard object in Wittmer’s pocket and removed a glass smoking device containing residue that field tested positive for meth.
Wittmer was handcuffed and then searched by Deputy Gibson. A search of Wittmer’s person resulted in Deputy Gibson locating a plastic bag containing a white crystal substance and several pills. The white crystal substance field tested positive for meth and the pills were identified as a controlled substance.
Corporal Reed utilized his narcotics-certified K9 Virka for a free air sniff of the exterior of the vehicle. K9 Virka gave a positive indication for the odor of narcotics. The white crystal substance that field tested positive for meth weighed more than five grams.
Wittmer was arrested on charges of possession of meth over 5 grams, possession of a controlled substance, driving while driver’s license is suspended with a prior conviction, and possession of drug paraphernalia and was transported to the Martin County Security Center.
