SALINE CO.—A group of underage drinkers were caught because one of their number had to pee and decided to relieve himself in the middle of the road.
While on routine patrol April 17 at approximately 7:58 p.m., deputies Mychal Gooch and Craig Williams spotted a vehicle westbound on Eagle Mountain Road.
A short time later the deputies turned around and headed in the same direction.
As they were nearing the end of Eagle Mt. Road toward Stone Face Road, they spotted the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road with a male standing outside the vehicle appearing to be urinating.
Gooch initiated an investigative stop and identified the driver as Traci Ragusus, 19, of 1609 Smith St., Eldorado.
Gooch also saw four others in the vehicle.
Deputy Williams recognized one of the back seat passengers as Dashawn Turner, 20, of 816 High St., Eldorado, and was aware of an officer alert that Turner may be in possession of a handgun.
Williams had Turner exit the vehicle and that’s when Gooch noticed Turner had vomited on himself as well as on the back seat of the vehicle.
Gooch said Turner smelled of alcohol and admitted he had been drinking.
At that time all the occupants were asked to exit the vehicle.
The front seat passenger was identified as Victoria Bethune, 19; the middle rear passenger was Mrranda McEwing, 18, of 1525 Grisham Corner Rd., Eldorado; and the right rear passenger was Jordan Milligan, 20.
After everybody admitted to drinking, they agreed to a portable breathalyzer test with McEwing blowing a .027, Turner a .095, Milligan a .049, Ragusus a .017 and Bethune a .094.
After obtaining a consent to search the vehicle, alcohol was found inside as well as in the truck of the car.
A purse belonging to Traci Ragusus was found to contain three diazepam tablets.
Deputy Lindsay Agin arrived on scene and found a small red container off the north side of roadway near where the group had been standing.
Located inside was four pills later identified as alprazolam and three and a half tablets of diazepam like those found in Ragusus’ purse.
When questioned about the red container McEwing said she had tossed it when officers weren’t looking.
She said she had been holding the pills for Turner in her bra.
Turner told officers he had given her the pills when he saw the police coming in their direction.
Dashawn Turner and Mrranda McEwing were charged with one count of Unlawful Consumption of Liquor by a Minor and two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Turner was released from custody April 22 after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Monica Turner of the same High St., Eldorado address.
McEwing was released from custody the same day after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Angela Harrelson of the same Grisham Corner Rd., Eldorado address.
Traci Ragusus was charged with one count each of Unlawful Consumption of Liquor by a Minor and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Ragusus was also released from custody April 22 after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Debra Marler of the same Smith St., Eldorado address.
Jordan Milligan and Victoria Bethune were both charged with of Unlawful Consumption of Liquor by a Minor. Their custody status was unclear as of press time.