Gainesville man arrested on drug distribution charges after allegedly hitting parked car and leaving scene
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Wesley Nathaniel Rutledge, 23, was arrested last night and charged with three drug distribution charges, one charge of possession of drug paraphernalia, and leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to other vehicles.
A Gainesville Police Department officer reported that as she was monitoring traffic at 900 E. University Avenue, she saw a car driving through a barricaded driveway, then she saw the barricade fall. She wrote that she flagged down the driver to stop and told him to turn around because he was not supposed to go beyond the barricade. She reported that he turned the vehicle and hit an unoccupied SUV. She yelled at him to stop and put the car in park, but he allegedly kept moving forward until she and another officer ordered him to stop several more times. He eventually stopped, and the officers removed him and two passengers from the car.
The officer reportedly found 2 bundles of marijuana in the car, then advised all three occupants of their Miranda rights; all three reportedly denied ownership of the marijuana. The passengers reportedly said that Rutledge had picked them up in Hawthorne, and they didn’t know about anything in the car.
Further search of the car reportedly produced a pill bottle containing cocaine, along with baggies that are commonly used to package narcotics. A search of Rutledge, incident to arrest, reportedly produced about 4.5 grams of Oxycodone, about 21.7 grams of marijuana, and about 26.1 grams of crack cocaine.
Rutledge has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1000 feet of a convenience store (the Wawa on E. University Avenue), possession of drug equipment, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, and leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to a vehicle.
Rutledge has no criminal history; Judge Walter Green set bail at $20,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Dodged a bullet with that one. Although he wasn’t a felon, at least he wasn’t packing.
Maybe he’ll take this as an opportunity and clean things up in his life.
You gotta hate when you draw attention to yourself and basically arrest yourself. More rocket scientists for the future.
More district 1 flunkies. Even if really “from Hawthorne” they had criminal intent and felt comfy doing it there in 1.
Thanks for your solidarity with district 1 neighbors JeffK. We call GPD non-stop on Sunday nights to report these folks on E University the majority of whom are NOT FROM THIS AREA and they say they are aware of the issue and it has been going on for years. Are you blaming the people who live in district 1 for having the audacity to live and pay taxes in a district you and GPD have written off as not deserving the same peace and safety as your neighborhood?