Woman arrested after attempting to inject heroin during traffic stop, deputies say

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Deputies said that a traffic stop in southwestern Florida led them to a drug house.

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The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that deputies who were investigating several overdoses believed to be connected to a single home saw a tan Chevy Avalanche visit the house briefly. The driver and passenger left the home approximately 20 minutes after arriving.

Deputies followed the vehicle until they were able to make a traffic stop. In the news release, officers said that as the deputy approached, “he observed (the passenger) with a loaded syringe in her hand attempting to inject herself with a substance positive for heroin.”

The passenger was identified as Cassidy Ann Ketchum. Ketchum, who is from Port Charlotte, was charged with multiple drug offenses and held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond, according to online records.

Ketchum has a long criminal history with more than 20 arrests, WBBH reported.

Officers said the driver, identified as Daniel Lamb, was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license.

When officers took Ketchum into custody, they said they found 2.5 grams of liquid heroin, 0.1 grams of fentanyl, a cell phone and several pills.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the home where Ketchum and Lamb had been seen prior to the traffic stop and found hundreds of used drug baggies and syringes. In the news release, deputies said they also found more than 10 grams of fentanyl and 7.4 grams of methamphetamine along with pills and cannabis.

“My team and I remain dedicated to eradicating the sale of illegal drugs in our community,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “These young individuals are wasting their lives and risking the lives of others peddling this poison.”