High-Speed Hijinks with Multiple Charges for Local Man
Marion County deputies had a busy evening on November 21, responding to a domestic disturbance at Tozier Mobile Home Park that spiraled into a traffic stop, a drug bust, and a list of charges long enough to rival a CVS receipt.
According to the arrest report, deputies arrived at 8010 SE 131st Place after Allana Payton Coker reported that her boyfriend, William Thomas Smith, had stormed off in a 2003 silver Ford Explorer with their 2-year-old son after an argument. The vehicle, bearing a license plate that didn’t match its registration, wasn’t exactly street-legal—or child-safety compliant, per Coker’s concerns.
Deputies spotted Smith pulling into the mobile home park but watched as he quickly made a U-turn and sped off into the night, apparently forgetting the concept of subtlety. After a brief pursuit, Smith was stopped on SE 126th Place. He exited the vehicle immediately, but deputies weren’t impressed with his enthusiasm and ordered him back into the driver’s seat.
The toddler was thankfully found safe and properly restrained in a car seat. Less fortunate, however, was Smith’s stash: deputies detected the unmistakable scent of raw marijuana wafting from the vehicle, setting off a chain of discoveries that would make a D.A.R.E. officer weep.
During a pat-down, Smith was found with three grams of marijuana and two grams of methamphetamine in his pockets. A further search of the vehicle unearthed additional marijuana (14 grams and 3 grams in separate pouches), two pipes, and a grinder—all the essentials for a roadside potluck. Field tests confirmed the substances were indeed marijuana and meth, and Smith did not possess a medical marijuana card to justify his green inventory.
Smith’s record revealed prior convictions for driving with a suspended license, but that didn’t stop him from taking another spin in a vehicle lacking registration or insurance. He also refused to explain his actions post-Miranda, preferring to let the evidence speak for itself.
While Smith was transported to the Marion County Jail, the toddler’s mother arrived to take custody of the child. Smith now faces a buffet of charges, including possession of marijuana (less than 20 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended or revoked, and failure to register a motor vehicle.
Perhaps next time, Smith will consider staying home—or at least registering his ride.
