A man and woman were arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after a high-speed pursuit in Ocala ended with a crash.
On Tuesday, an MCSO deputy was parked at the Murphy Express located at 17 Cedar Radial Pass when a Chevrolet Trailblazer was observed near the front of the store. The deputy watched as a white male, later identified as 37-year-old Cody Allen Calton, stepped outside the vehicle, according to the MCSO report.
The deputy noted in the report that Calton spotted the MCSO patrol car, and he immediately re-entered the vehicle and exited the parking lot at a high rate of speed. According to the report, the deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of Bahia Road and Maricamp Road, though Calton accelerated the vehicle and continued traveling eastbound on SE Maricamp Road.
During the pursuit, the deputy was advised by MCSO dispatch that the tag on the vehicle had been reported stolen in Leesburg, and it belonged to a trailer.
The pursuit came to an end when the vehicle crashed at the intersection of SE 110th Street and SE 182nd Avenue Road. Calton was removed from the vehicle and detained, along with a female passenger who was identified as 36-year-old Amalia Cristle Marie Ortiz.
According to the MCSO report, the interior of the vehicle was searched, and the following items were located: a small bag containing a white crystal-like substance; a glass pipe containing a white residue on the passenger floorboard; a black purse in the trunk which contained a contact lens case that was filled with a wax substance; and a small wallet containing Ortiz’s driver’s license and a small round white pill that was later identified as Tramadol.
The crystal-like substance field-tested positive for a mixture of fentanyl and methamphetamine, and the wax substance field-tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. According to MCSO, the weight of the fentanyl substances was 5.6 grams.
A computer check of the vehicle’s VIN (vehicle identification number) revealed that it was unregistered. The deputy noted in the report that Calton’s driver’s license was suspended and he had an active warrant for his arrest out of Hernando County.
After being read his Miranda rights, Calton claimed that he was in the process of purchasing the vehicle and there was no tag attached when he picked it up. He further claimed that he was unaware how the tag from the trailer had become attached to the vehicle.
Calton stated that the vehicle was not registered in his name because he was still making payments on it to another individual. He admitted that his driver’s license was not valid, and he advised that he did not stop for the deputy because he did not want to go to jail.
During the interview, Calton was asked about the drugs that were found inside the vehicle. He admitted that he is the only person who drives the vehicle, though he claimed that he did not know how the drugs got there or who they belonged to.
After speaking with Calton, the deputy read Ortiz her Miranda rights, and she was asked about the pill that was found inside her wallet. She admitted that the pill belonged to her and she did not have a prescription for it.
Calton and Ortiz were arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. A court date has been scheduled for both of them at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, according to jail records.
Calton is currently being held at the jail on $15,500 bond, and he is facing felony charges for fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and trafficking in fentanyl (4 grams or more). In addition, he is facing misdemeanor charges for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, failure to register a motor vehicle, second degree petit theft, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ortiz is currently being held at the jail on $2,000 bond, and she is facing a felony charge for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.