A young girl was arrested in Florida after officers caught her openly indulging in marijuana. The probe began after police officials approached a vehicle on suspicion, which was parked on the roadside. Originally from New York, the girl revealed that she worked as a dancer in Daytona, Tampa, and Miami. Suspecting criminal activity, the officers searched the car and discovered pills she initially claimed belonged to her mother — only to later admit they were hers.
According to body-camera footage posted on BodyCam Network USA‘s YouTube, the incident took place on December 30, 2024. As the officials came closer to the vehicle, the driver and the passenger were caught rolling marijuana and were asked to come out of the vehicle to proceed with the investigation.
One of them identified herself as Tatiana, who cooperated well with the officials throughout the interrogation while simultaneously being asked about state regulations, which she said she was still trying to understand. The situation escalated after the officers discovered some pills inside a small bag near her identification card.
As a result, the officer told her she was being detained and asked who the medication actually belonged to. Tatiana initially claimed that the bag belonged to her mother and she had borrowed it from her for a day. She stated that her mother had several medical complications and had undergone several surgeries, including a hip replacement.
The officers allowed Tatiana to call her mother to substantiate her statements. During the call, she even asked her mother to send the prescriptions she had for her pain medication.
The officer also spoke to the girl’s mother and introduced himself as Officer Staple and confirmed that she indeed had several recommended medications and often kept them in her bag when they stepped out together. To ensure the accuracy of her statements, the officer asked her to send a picture of the prescription to verify if the pills actually belonged to her or not.
During the interaction, the officer also asked the girl about her family and their profession. The deputies also warned that if her mother falsely claimed ownership of the medication, they would verify the prescription records anyway.
“If your mom calls back and she says that those are hers, once again, we can go as far as calling her doctor and saying she’s falsifying medication trying to get you out of trouble,” Officer Staple said.
The deputies encouraged the girl to be truthful, and as she faced the prospect of her mother being implicated, the detained girl changed her stance and admitted that the pills belonged to her. “I had like perks in my bag. I forgot they were there. Honestly, I didn’t even know,” she said.
Tatiana inquired about further steps, and the deputies told her that she would likely be booked into jail with a $500 bond. She later told her mother about the entire incident and explained the process further. While speaking with her mother, she even admitted, “It’s me. I did some dumb [stuff]. I’m sorry I even woke you up.”
She was taken to the Orange County Jail and was eventually charged with possession of oxycodone. She was granted a pre-trial diversion after pleading not guilty.
