Too cute: Florida police searching for drugs find baby raccoon in woman’s backpack

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Florida police officers conducting a search for drugs in a woman’s backpack got an unexpected dose of cuteness -- an adorable, week-old baby raccoon.

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According to the Clearwater Police Department, the “cute little critter” was found Saturday night after officers stopped 43-year-old Lindsey Alice Rodewald when she was riding her bicycle without lights, WFLA-TV reported.

Police said that Rodewald gave officers verbal consent to search her backpack, according to the television station. Officers said they found a broken glass pipe with crystal residue, and a field test indicated that methamphetamine was present.

They also found a chattering baby raccoon, Clearwater police wrote in a Facebook post.

“You never know what you’re going to find as a police officer,” the department wrote.

According to Pinellas County online court records, Rodewald was charged with one count of methamphetamine possession, a third-degree felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a third-degree misdemeanor.

She was not charged with any counts related to the baby raccoon, the Miami Herald reported.

Rodewald’s bail was set at $2,150, according to Pinellas County jail records. As of Monday, she was no longer at the county jail.

The raccoon was taken to the Veterinary Emergency Group in Tampa for an evaluation, Clearwater police wrote on Facebook.

“It will be cared for alongside other young raccoons before hopefully being released back into the wild,” the department wrote.