Police: Traffic Stop Leads to Heroin-Related Arrest

Racine County Sheriff’s deputies say a 23-year-old woman is in custody for possession of drug paraphernalia after deputies initiated a traffic stop in Sturtevant.

Andrea Whealon, of Mount Pleasant, was charged in Racine County Circuit Court Monday with two counts of felony bail jumping and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. If convicted, she faces up to 12 years, one month in jail and/or up to $20,500 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, deputies responded at 7:19 a.m. Sunday to a call for a reckless driver from an off-duty Milwaukee police officer who was following a vehicle on I-94. Deputies caught up with the vehicle near the intersection of Highways 20 and H and pulled the driver over based on speed limit violations.

Deputies say the registered driver of the car – later identified as Whealon – had warrants out for her arrest from Fond du Lac County; one for felony bail jumping and misdemeanor retail theft and another for a single felony count of manufacture/deliver heroin and one count of misdemeanor bail jumping. When she was told about the reason for the stop, Whealon said she was on her way to work at a local restaurant.

Based on the warrants for her arrest from Fond du Lac, deputies asked Whealon to exit her car so a K9 officer could conduct an open-air sniff test, the complaint reads. When the dog alerted at both the open car door and at the center console, deputies also searched the trunk of the car. They found a variety of items, including a soft white bag containing cotton balls, a spoon with char marks on the bottom, and three syringes; two of which looked used.

Deputies say one of the needles had a small amount of liquid in it, but it wasn’t enough for a field test. Whealon admitted the bag was hers and that she was not a diabetic. Under the conditions of her bond for both cases out of Fond du Lac, Whealon is not to possess any drug paraphernalia or controlled substances.

Whealon remained in the Racine County Jail as of Monday evening on a $500 cash bond. She is not to possess or consume any controlled substances and must submit to drug tests both randomly and after each court appearance. Whealon will next be in court May 28 for her preliminary hearing.