By Sarah Peters
news@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH COUNTY,IN A Syracuse man and a Cromwell woman are facing felony drug charges following a routine traffic stop in the early hours of July 22.
At approximately 4:52 a.m., Wabash County Sheriff’s Department officers initiated a routine stop on a black 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse that was northbound on State Road 13 for an expired license plate, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Officers identified the driver as Gage L. Trowbridge, 22, of Syracuse, and determined his license was suspended prior, the court documents continued.
The passenger – later identified as Erika J. Bruner, 27, of Cromwell – first identified herself under a false name, according to the affidavit.
Officers asked both Trowbridge and Bruner to exit the vehicle after determining that the driver’s license was suspended and had Sgt. Nate Birch’s K-9, Cato, perform a free air sniff of the car, the documents continued.
Birch advised that the result was a positive alert, according to the affidavit.
Officers proceeded to search the vehicle and found a digital scale, several small rubber bands, and three blue, round pills in the center console, according to Sgt. Daniel Johnson’s affidavit.
On the passenger floorboard, officers found a soda can with a hidden compartment, which contained 11 small, individual zip lock baggies, each containing a greenish brown, plantlike substance, two other individual zip lock baggies containing a total of 40 white, round pills as well as three additional empty zip lock bags, Johnson continued.
Officers also located a clear and black screw top container that had a greenish brown, plantlike substance, as well as two glass pipes containing a burnt residue inside, he continued.
Also on the passenger floorboard were two black zipper bags, one of which contained a smaller zip lock bag with a whitish, clear crystal like substance inside, the court documents continued.
In the rear of the car, police found a Pringles can with a hidden compartment inside. It contained four plastic zip lock baggies, which had a whitish clear crystal like substance inside, three zip lock baggies containing a brownish white powdery substance, one zip lock baggie containing 13 1/2 white pills, one zip lock baggie containing 10 yellow pills, one zip lock baggie containing 13 green pills, and several small rubber bands, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Testing of the substances showed that the brownish white, powdery substance tested positive for heroin, the whitish clear, crystal like substance tested positive for methamphetamine, and the greenish brown, plantlike substance tested positive for marijuana, the court documents continued.
Bruner and Trowbridge were each charged with felony dealing in methamphetamine, felony possession of meth, dealing in a narcotic drug, possession of narcotic drug, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana.
Trowbridge was also charged with driving while suspended.
Bruner also had a warrant out of Kosciusko County for battery resulting in bodily injury.