An Akron woman was arrested on drug charges Monday evening after police in Springfield Township conducted a traffic stop on South Arlington Road and reportedly “observed a raccoon named ‘Chewy’ sitting in the driver’s seat with a meth pipe in its mouth.
”Springfield Township police say the incident -- which they’ve labeled as a “strange encounter on patrol” -- started around 7:15 p.m. after an officer identified the vehicle had a registered owner with an active warrant and suspended driver’s license.
The driver, identified as 55-year-old Victoria Vidal, was detained without incident.T
hat’s when police say the traffic stop “took an unusual turn” as the officer reportedly saw the raccoon.“Chewy had somehow gotten hold of a glass methamphetamine pipe, leading officers to further inspect the vehicle,” according to details shared by police in a Facebook post Tuesday. Police said a subsequent search revealed the following:
Bulk amount of methamphetamine
Crack cocaine
Three used glass meth pipes
Vidal was charged with possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and was cited for driving under suspension, police said. She was also turned over to Cuyahoga Falls police on her active warrant.“Additional charges related to crack cocaine possession will be presented at grand jury pending BCI lab results,” according to Springfield Township police.
As for Chewy the raccoon, police said it was unharmed and notification was made to the proper authorities to determine that she had the proper paperwork and documentation to own the animal.“
While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first,” police said. (From YouTube video description)
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