K9 alerts to a controlled substance in a vehicle during traffic stop
/When a driver was pulled over last Thursday for a headlight that wasn’t working, and a K9 alerted after a sniff around, the driver ended up in jail.
Daniel Evan Weibel, 20, Bicknell, was arrested by Officer Bobby Pierce of the Linton Police Department. Weibel was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:08 a.m. last Friday, July 16, following a traffic stop on Thursday night, July 15.
Weibel was the driver of a silver Pontiac G6 that was stopped by Officer Pierce at the intersection of State Road 54 and 12th Street SE in Linton for a non-functioning headlight.
LPD Officer Joe Riley and his K-9 partner “Kona” assisted on the scene and when Kona was deployed on a sniff around the vehicle, Kona alerted to the presence of a controlled substance.
Officer Pierce reported that during the subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located several pills of one strength of acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitrate and several pills of another strength of the same medication.
Weibel allegedly said the pills belonged to a family member but later admitted they belonged to him. He said he had found them in his house and he intended to throw them away.
There were two firearms in the vehicle at the time of the stop but Weibel informed Officer Pierce they were in the vehicle and Weibel did possess a valid firearm license.
Weibel was taken into custody, transported and booked into the Greene County Jail where he was being held without bond pending court appearance.
Weibel’s initial hearing is currently set for July 26.
He is facing a charge of possession of a controlled substance with an enhancing circumstance, a Level 6 felony.