Ohio police were stunned when they discovered a racoon holding a meth pipe during a routine traffic stop.
Driver leave racoon with a meth pipe holding the bag
The incident took place just after 7 p.m. on May 5 in Springfield Township, located outside Akron.
Officer Branham with the Springfield Township Police Department had initiated a traffic stop on a car driven by a woman who, police later confirmed, had both an outstanding warrant and a suspended license.
“However, things took an unusual turn,” the Springfield Township Police Department said in an official statement.
Upon walking back to the vehicle, Officer Branham saw a raccoon named Chewy sitting in the driver’s seat with a meth pipe in its mouth.
“As Officer Branham returned to the vehicle, he observed a raccoon named ‘Chewy’ sitting in the driver’s seat with a meth pipe in its mouth,” police stated.
“Chewy had somehow gotten hold of a glass methamphetamine pipe, leading officers to further inspect the vehicle.”
Cops find more than just a meth pipe and a masked mammal
The bizarre sight led officers to conduct a more detailed search of the car. That inspection revealed a “bulk” amount of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and three additional glass pipes, all of which had been used.
The driver, identified as 55-year-old Victoria Vidal of Akron, was taken into custody without resistance.
She is now facing charges for drug possession, three separate counts of possessing drug paraphernalia, and was cited for driving with a license that had been suspended.
Following her arrest, Vidal was transferred to the custody of Cuyahoga Falls Police in connection with the warrant previously issued for her.
The unusual presence of a raccoon at the scene raised legal concerns about the ownership of exotic animals. Police addressed that issue directly.
“Thankfully, Chewy the raccoon was unharmed, and notification was made to the proper authorities to determine that she has the proper paperwork and documentation to own the raccoon,” the department said.
“While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first! No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident,” the department added.
According to The Midland Daily News, a grand jury will later assess whether to pursue further charges related to the crack cocaine, depending on the outcome of lab testing.
Drug user tries to pay of debt by stealing cannon
In a separate, but equally strange case out of Wichita, Kansas, another suspect linked to drug use is now facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing an 800-pound, centuries-old cannon, in an effort to pay off a methamphetamine debt.
Wichita Police reported that the theft occurred on April 3 at Central Riverside Park.
Officers recovered the 213-year-old cannon within hours, though by then, it had already sustained what authorities described as “significant damage.”
The suspect, later identified as Gordon Pierce III, was arrested without confrontation.
According to police, Pierce was booked into Sedgwick County Jail on allegations of felony theft, criminal damage to property, methamphetamine possession, and outstanding warrants.
When officers searched him, they discovered a small clear bag with a white crystal-like substance, which Pierce identified as methamphetamine.
Pierce later spoke with investigators and disclosed that he had been using meth for 20 years.
He said that a drug dealer had recently fronted him a full pound of the narcotic, but he didn’t believe he could find buyers for such a large quantity.
He alleged that someone had assaulted him and stolen the drugs. The dealer, Pierce said, did not accept the explanation and demanded $20,000, allegedly threatening to kill both Pierce and his family if he failed to come up with the money.
In an effort to pay back his dealer, Pierce began looking around Wichita for copper statues and other scrap metal of high value that he could steal.
Suspect traded homeless man drugs and meth pipe to move cannon
His quest ultimately led him to the cannon, a Spanish-American War memorial made in 1794 in Seville, Spain, and brought to Wichita in 1900.
On April 2, according to reports, Pierce struck a deal with a homeless man, who he traded drugs and a meth pipe with, in exchange for help moving the enormous artifact.
The two were reportedly unable to lift the cannon into Pierce’s vehicle. He then attempted to haul it away using a chain, which broke multiple times before he succeeded by using a second chain borrowed from a friend.
Pierce is accused of dragging the cannon to the friend’s residence, where he used a specialized saw to cut it into four or five parts.
He allegedly left the largest portion behind in the garage and transported the rest to his drug dealer to prove he was trying to repay the debt.
The dealer, however, was reportedly unimpressed. He allegedly called Pierce “stupid,” warned him that he would “bring heat to his house,” and threatened to shoot Pierce in the head if he returned.
Feeling overwhelmed after the confrontation, Pierce told authorities that he went to his mother’s home and admitted everything.
He also reportedly told investigators that he chose the cannon not for its historical value but because it was placed in a poorly lit area.
He further said he had no realistic plan to sell the scrap metal, admitting he lacked the necessary identification to do so.
According to a city maintenance supervisor cited by KAKE, its value is estimated to be over $100,000, with pedestal repairs expected to cost another $10,000.
Pierce remains in custody on a $200,000 bond.
