A 37-year-old Dunnellon woman was arrested outside of a local Winn-Dixie after a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy located heroin, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia inside her vehicle.
On Friday, April 22, the MCSO deputy responded to the Winn-Dixie located at 10051 S U.S. Highway 41 in Dunnellon in reference to a complaint. Upon arrival, Marion County Fire Rescue units were speaking with a woman who was identified as Vanessa Jade Ellis.
A store manager had observed Ellis inside a Ford Explorer in the store’s parking lot, and she had been slumped over the steering wheel.
Ellis was still sitting in the vehicle, and the deputy approached her. According to the MCSO report, the deputy observed a yellow tourniquet on the driver’s side floorboard between her feet, and there were numerous needle marks on her forearms.
When Ellis exited the vehicle for an evaluation by MCFR medics, the deputy spotted a large bulge in her right sock. Inside the sock, a hypodermic needle and a small clear plastic baggie filled with a brown powder were located. The brown powder field-tested positive for the presence of heroin.
During a search of Ellis’ vehicle, the following items were found:
- Three hypodermic needles filled with liquid that field-tested positive for heroin.
- 18 empty used hypodermic needles.
- Four small plastic baggies filled with a brown powder that field-tested positive for heroin.
- 15 empty plastic baggies that contained residue.
- Two white folded papers that each contained white rock-like pieces that field-tested positive for cocaine.
- Several glass pipes, inside a black case and pink box, which contained burnt copper mesh and residue.
The MCSO report indicated that all of the above items were found within arm’s reach of where Ellis had been sitting inside the vehicle.
Ellis was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where she is currently being held on $5,000 bond. She is facing felony charges for possession of cocaine and possession of a controlled substance, along with a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.