A 29-year-old woman who fled from a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal is facing drug charges after cocaine and marijuana were allegedly found in her vehicle.
On Tuesday, November 7, an MCSO corporal observed a red Jeep that was traveling southbound on N U.S. Highway 441 at a high rate of speed. The corporal’s radar confirmed that the Jeep was traveling 90 miles per hour in a posted 65-mph zone, according to the arrest report.
The Jeep’s driver and sole occupant was later identified as Dallas Cassidy Bonham-Walker.
When the corporal activated the patrol car’s emergency lights and attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the 15000 block of N U.S. Highway 441, Bonham-Walker turned westbound onto W Highway 316 and began driving at a slow rate of speed, according to the report.
The corporal noted that Bonham-Walker turned southbound onto NW 27th Avenue and “acted as if (she) was going to stop,” though she continued to drive at a “very low speed.” The corporal then activated the patrol car’s siren and told Bonham-Walker to stop over the loudspeaker, and she responded by driving away at a high rate of speed.
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper soon joined the pursuit of the Jeep. The corporal unsuccessfully attempted to conduct a P.I.T. (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver in the 14300 block of NW 27th Avenue, and Bonham-Walker continued to flee westbound on NW 145th Street, northbound on N U.S. 441, westbound on W Highway 316, and then northbound onto Gainesville Road, according to the report.
When the Jeep reached Gainesville Road, the corporal and trooper lost sight of the vehicle. The report stated that multiple law enforcement units responded to the area, and the corporal eventually spotted the Jeep in the 5200 block of NW 155th Street.
Bonham-Walker exited the Jeep and was detained in handcuffs. She told the corporal that she was “just trying to smoke her weed” and law enforcement “messed that up for her.” After being read her Miranda rights, she refused to discuss the incident.
A computer search of Bonham-Walker revealed that she did not have a valid Florida driver’s license.
A search of Bonham-Walker’s Jeep was conducted, and an orange medicine bottle was located in the driver’s seat that contained a white rock-like substance and three pills. A brown cigarette with a green leafy substance was also located in the vehicle, and a clear baggie filled with a green leafy substance was later found in her purse, according to the report.
The corporal noted in the report that the white rock-like substance field-tested positive for cocaine. The green leafy substances both field-tested positive for marijuana, and the three pills were identified as oxycodone.
Bonham-Walker was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and she was released the same day on $17,000 bond. She is facing felony charges for fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, possession of cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone) without a prescription.
In addition, Bonham-Walker is facing misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana (not more than 20 grams) and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.