A man was jailed on drug and traffic charges following an early morning Tuesday stop at Elm and Euharlee Streets in Rockmart, according to Polk County Police reports.
Kenneth Leroy Baker, 59, of 611 Jones Ave., Rockmart, remained in the Polk County Jail on felony and misdemeanor charges after he was stopped with another man when officers spotted Baker swerving over a double yellow line at Elm and Euharlee street around 2:15 a.m. on May 11.
The report stated the officers got Baker and a passenger out of the vehicle after they told police they were heading to Lindale for the night, and consent was given for a search of the truck while the two were standing with one officer.
Police found a clear plastic bag full of a brown substance suspected to be heroin under the driver’s seat, and took both men into custody. The driver told police that “there shouldn’t be anything inside the vehicle and had no clue how heroin got inside the vehicle.” The passenger also told police it wasn’t his and he “doesn’t use any illegal substances, and only consumes alcohol.”
Officers took Baker into custody and charged him with a misdemeanor charge of failure to maintain lane and a felony charge of possession of heroin. Police let the passenger go, but officers learned from Baker after he was detained and on his way to jail that the passenger had thrown out a glass pipe prior to their stop, and had swallowed “dope” to prevent it from being discovered.
Baker remained in jail on the two charges along with a pair of felony probation violation offenses. His bond was set at $8,500.
