Traffic violation leads man to swallow cocaine

Friday, Jan. 28, 2000 | 9:36 a.m.

"He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, is he?" North Las Vegas Police Lt. Chris Larotonda said Thursday.

Jones was in stable condition at Lake Mead Hospital after having his stomach pumped and undergoing surgery.

Police stopped Jones Wednesday night after he ran a stop sign. When officers approached the car, Jones appeared fine. But when they walked away from the car to write a traffic ticket, they noticed Jones had opened the car door and was shaking and appeared disoriented.

The officers, believing that Jones had a medical condition, called for an ambulance.

Jones admitted to police that he had ingested eight baggies of cocaine.

Police aren't sure how much cocaine was in the baggies. After Jones was taken to the hospital, officers found more drugs in the car.

If Jones recovers, Larotonda said he will be charged with trafficking a controlled substance.

"It would have been much simpler to just take the traffic ticket," Larotonda said.

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