Key West The Newspaper

Two arrested on drug charges after traffic stop

A Sheriff’s detective arrested two women after a traffic stop in the city of Key West when he found them to be in possession of drugs and a gun.

The detective spotted the green Kia Soul southbound on Trinity Drive just after 7 p.m. He saw the car run the stop sign and turn right on Northside Drive, then quickly accelerate. As he was following the car, he measured its speed at 50 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone. He pulled the car over at Kennedy Drive and North Roosevelt Boulevard, identifying the driver as 34 year old Lindsay Stephens, who also goes by Lindsay Scarborough. Her passenger was identified as 27 year old Destiny Gagliano.

A Key West Police K-9 team arrived on the scene. While the detective was talking with the two women, the dog alerted on the outside of the vehicle, indicating drugs inside.

There were two backpacks in the car. In the one belonging to Gagliano, a search turned up .3 grams of a white powdery substance that later tested positive for cocaine and methamphetamine. In the backpack belonging to Stephens, a search turned up more of the same mixture, weighing .5 grams along with drug paraphernalia. A .380 caliber handgun was also in that backpack.

Both women had suspended drivers licenses.

They were both arrested and taken to jail. Stephens was charged with possession of cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony and possession of drug paraphernalia. She also received citations for running a stop sign and driving with her license suspended. Gagliano was charged with possession of cocaine and methamphetamine.

Hialeah man charged with stealing personal watercraft

A 20 year old Hialeah man was arrested Sunday in the early morning hours after he was caught on a traffic stop, towing a stolen personal watercraft.

Deputy Gil Gonzalez was on patrol at the 105 mile marker just before 1 a.m. when he saw a truck northbound on the highway, towing a personal watercraft on a trailer. The trailer had no working taillights. He pulled the truck over and identified the driver as 20 year old Lazaro Cruz of Hialeah. During the traffic stop, he asked Cruz if the personal watercraft belonged to him. Cruz said it belonged to a friend named “Albert” and he was towing for him.

A check on the personal watercraft’s registration gave the owner’s name as Carlos Pla of Miami. Deputy Gonzalez called Pla and asked him if he allowed anyone to use his watercraft. Pla said no. He said it should be parked at his second home in Key Largo, behind a closed gate with a golf cart parked in front of it to prevent it from being stolen.

Deputy Cody Kerns drove by the Pla home. He found the gate propped open and the golf cart parked across the street.

Pla responded to the scene of the traffic stop and identified the watercraft and the trailer as his. Cruz was arrested. He was charged with grand theft of the watercraft and grand theft of the trailer. He was booked into jail.

Big Pine man arrested for damaging truck

A 19 year old Big Pine man was arrested Wednesday for damaging his mother’s 1998 Ford F-150 truck.

The victim met with Sgt. Ken Fricke and Deputy Josh Gordon at her home on Richard Road, Big Pine Key. She showed them the damage to the truck. The windshield, passenger side windows and the rear window were all broken. Inside, a wire harness had been damaged and the dashboard ripped out, rendering the truck inoperable. She said her son, Mario Bacerra, had been high on spice and alcohol and they’d gotten into an argument prior to him doing the damage.

The victim introduced the officers to a witness who told them he saw the whole thing. Bacerra was located at a trailer on Avenue A, Big Pine Key. He was arrested, charged with burglary and criminal mischief and he was booked into jail.

Two men arrested in connection with counterfeit money

Two men were arrested Thursday afternoon in Key Largo, one for passing a counterfeit $100 bill and one for possessing a counterfeit $100 bill.

Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call at 1:30 p.m. from Keys Castaways at the 99 mile marker of Highway U.S. One. They were reporting a man just tried to use a counterfeit $100 bill in the store. The store employee refused to take the bill. The suspect left southbound in a white Nissan Altima with black front and rear bumpers.

Officers who heard the notice to be on the lookout for the car began watching for it. Sgt. Syd Whitehouse found the car parked in Tavernier Towne parking lot with two men inside. They only spoke Spanish so Detective Orlando Alvarez responded to assist with translation. Detectives Lance Hernandez and Ian Barnet also responded to the scene to investigate.

The men said they were cousins and had traveled to the Keys to “see the sights”. They agreed to allow officers to search their wallets and search the car.

In the wallet belonging to driver 48 year old Carlos Fabelo of Miami, detectives found a counterfeit $100 bill. In the vehicle, they found a walking cane Alexander Hernandez-Ramirez said he bought for his elderly grandmother in Cuba. A receipt was found in the car for the cane. He’d purchased it at Medical Care Services Florida Keys for $21.50 using a $100 bill. Ramirez is 40 years old and from Homestead.

Detectives contacted that company by phone. The owner of the store confirmed the $100 bill used to purchase the cane was counterfeit. He later positively identified Ramirez and the man who used the bill to pay for the cane.

Both men were arrested. Fabelo was charged with possession of a counterfeit bill and Ramirez with passing a counterfeit bill. They were booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

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Note: Information in these crime report is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Please remember all suspects are innocent until proven guilty.