Police in Florida are looking for a woman they believe ‘stole bricks of marijuana’ which had washed ashore on Flagler Beach.
The unidentified woman is said to be blonde, tattooed and had been wearing a yellow bikini top with black bottoms at the time of the incident.
She was allegedly photographed reaching inside a bundle of marijuana on Thursday (September 13), although only half of her face is visible in the photograph.
Officers remain hopeful due to the tattoos on her back, she will eventually be identified.
Separate batches of marijuana – adding up to around 100lbs – were found washed up on Flagler beaches from Wednesday, September 12. Further batches were discovered in the nearby counties of Volusia and St Johns.
On Thursday, an unnamed caller told police she could see multiple packages washed up on a beach at Jungle Hut Road Park; around 10 miles away from Flagler Beach.
After arriving at the scene, officers arrested 61-year-old Robert Kelley for allegedly stealing 11 pounds of the drug, before taking him into police custody.
Kelley has claimed he only took a portion of the drug to keep in his vehicle because he was uncertain whether or not officers were coming to address the matter.
According to Flagler County Sheriff’s Office:
Robert Kelley, was seen attempting to open the packaging and take packages of marijuana. Others were attempting to do the same thing.
When FCSO arrived on the scene, the caller identified Robert Kelley to deputies. While on scene, Kelley did not attempt to approach FCSO and alert them that he had found suspected narcotics.
After speaking with the caller, deputies made contact with Kelley and asked if he took some of the suspected marijuana. Robert pointed at his vehicle and stated that he was holding it for law enforcement’s arrival.
When Kelley was asked why he had not alerted law enforcement immediately, he stated he did not alert FCSO because he did not know if the Sheriff’s Office was going to come or not.
FCSO conducted a probable cause search of Kelley’s vehicle and located a “brick” of suspected marijuana in his trunk. The “brick” was wrapped in plastic and contained approximately 11 pounds (wet weight) of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.
Kelley had attempted to conceal it by wrapping it in a brown beach towel. The suspected narcotics tested positive for Marijuana.
According to News4Jax, Sheriff Rick Staly said:
This is another great example of ‘see something, say something,’
This guy tried to take advantage of a situation and it completely backfired on him. Now, thanks to the joint effort of our citizens’ watchful eyes and good police work, these narcotics are off the streets.
To anyone thinking they can take advantage of marijuana washing up on shore, I have a warning for you. Is it worth a trip to the Green Roof Inn charged with a felony just for some ‘free’ weed?
Kelley has reportedly been arrested on charges of marijuana possession over 20 grams. He is now being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility under a $2,500 (£1912.77) bond.
The recovered marijuana has since been handed over to US Customs and Border Protection, who are continuing to investigate the matter further.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.