By BECKY CRISSMAN

becky.crissman@gaflnews.com

ROCHELLE — A routine traffice stop here Saturday night resulted in two arrests.Just before 9 p.m. Trooper Dwayne Massey of the Georgia State Patrol Post 30 stopped a 2002 Pontiac Grand AM driven by 32-year old Vanessa Vasquez of Abbeville. Upon approaching the vehicle Trooper Massey smelled alcohol and became suspiciious. He also noticed that the passenger, 33-year old Levi Owens of Rochelle was holding some items in his hand and trying to get put them under the seat. When asked by Massey to let the items go Owens then threw the items across the car.

Upon retrieval Massey discovered one large clear plastic bag containing a large amount of suspected methamphetamine. This prompted Massey to conduct a more detailed search in which a pill bottle was located in Owens’ pocket filled with various unidentifiable pills. Another pill bottle was located on the ground just outside the vehicle which contained a substance suspected to be marijuana.

Owens was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine, and tampering with evdience. The driver of the vehicle, Vasquez was also arrested and charged with DUI. The pair were turned over to the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Department.

Efforts to reach a spokesperson from the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office were unsuccessful.