Vehicle stopped for traffic violation leads to drug arrest

On August 25th at approximately 12:33 a.m., a Picayune Police Patrol Division officer observed a gold Ford F-150 turn onto Palestine Road from Neal Road without stopping at a stop sign. According to Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Magri, the vehicle began to travel east on Palestine Road and the officer noticed it was weaving back and forth on the roadway. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Palestine Road near Shelia Drive.

Magri said the officer made contact with the driver, identified as Roxanne Alice Edwards, age 54, of 442 Old Kiln Road, Picayune., and requested a driver’s license and proof of valid insurance, and Edwards was unable to provide insurance. While speaking with Edwards, the officer observed her to be extremely nervous, visibly shaking, and constantly looking around inside the vehicle. The officer also noticed her pupils to be extremely constricted which was unusual given the darkness (time of night) according to Magri.

The officer asked Edwards to exit the vehicle and asked for consent to search the vehicle. At this time, the officer located two plastic bags of a crystal-like substance believed to be Crystal Methamphetamine, several plastic straws and pen hulls commonly used to snort illegal narcotics, and one and one half dosage unit of Adderall from her purse.

Magri said that Edwards was arrested for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Paraphernalia, transported to the Criminal Justice Center, booked on the said charges, and incarcerated. She was also issued a citation for Running a Stop Sign, Careless Driving, and No Proof of Insurance.