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Ocala
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Ocala man involved in crash arrested after multiple drugs found inside vehicle

A 22-year-old Ocala man who was involved in a two-vehicle crash was arrested by the Ocala Police Department after multiple drugs and a loaded handgun were found inside his vehicle.

On Tuesday, May 31, an OPD officer responded to the 1800 block of SW College Road in Ocala due to reports of an accident.

Upon arrival, the officer observed a Dodge SUV on SW College Road and a Buick Sedan that was in a nearby parking lot. Both vehicles had sustained “disabling damage,” according to the OPD report.

The officer observed a man, later identified as Irijah Adriel Norman, who was sitting against a nearby building.

Irijah Adriel Norman
Irijah Adriel Norman

In the OPD report, the officer noted that Norman was acting suspiciously since he had locked his keys in one of the vehicles that was involved in the accident and he appeared to be trying to leave the scene. The officer requested Norman’s driver’s license, and he handed the officer a state identification card.

The officer confirmed through OPD dispatch that Norman did not have a valid driver’s license in the state of Florida.

An OPD sergeant opened the passenger’s side door of Norman’s vehicle to conduct an inventory search. The officer noted in the report that there was a strong odor of raw marijuana emitting from the inside of the vehicle.

Norman attempted to retrieve a backpack that was inside the vehicle, and the officer advised that everything in the vehicle needed to be inventoried prior to being towed. When the officer retrieved the backpack from the rear passenger floorboard, Norman placed his hand on the backpack in an attempt to grab it.

Norman was advised to step away from the vehicle, and the officer reminded him that all of the items in the vehicle needed to be inventoried before they could be retrieved.

The officer opened the backpack and found a black digital scale, multiple small bags, a vacuum-sealed bag containing a green leafy substance, a blue Ziploc bag containing multiple unmarked pill bottles filled with various controlled substances, several additional pill bottles, and a wallet containing Norman’s medical and dental insurance cards.

The rest of the vehicle was searched, and the OPD report indicated that the following items were seized:

  • 320 grams of raw marijuana.
  • 31 grams of methamphetamine.
  • 30 grams of cocaine.
  • 17 grams of fentanyl.
  • 13 grams of alprazolam.
  • A semi-automatic handgun loaded with 21 live rounds of ammunition – there was no round in the chamber.

Norman was arrested and transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation since he claimed to have hit his head during the accident. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, he was medically cleared and transported to Marion County Jail.

Norman was later released from the jail on $56,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for armed trafficking of fentanyl, armed trafficking of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of marijuana (more than 20 grams), and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, July 5 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.