Vehicle pursuit ends in drug and gun theft charges for driver

A man faces multiple gun and drug charges after fleeing police during a traffic stop Friday night. 

Andre L. Anderson was charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics for sale, possession of narcotics transportation for sale, possession of marijuana for sale, unlawful flight, theft of a firearm, weapons misconduct, driving under the influence, and DUI drugs, police said. 

Jahkweili A. Manuel, a passenger, was charged with false reporting, police said. 

A third occupant of the vehicle, a female, was detained, but not charged, police said. 

At 8:37 p.m., police attempted a traffic stop on a white Dodge Charger near Butterfield Parkway and Donithan Way in The Villages. The vehicle fled from officers at a substantial rate of speed and was pursued by police, according to a probable cause statement. Police said the vehicle was found a short time later, parked on West Wallner Drive in the community, and the occupants were detained on the sidewalk, police said. 

According to the probable cause statement, the vehicle was searched with officers detecting the smell of burned marijuana. A camouflage body armor vest was located on the driver’s seat, police said. 

Manuel denied being in the vehicle during the traffic stop, telling officers he was walking from a nearby friend’s house but he could not identify the house, police said. Manuel told officers that he was recently shot in the leg and asked for the knee brace that was in the Dodge Charger, the probable cause statement said. 

During a body search of Anderson, police said they found Xanax and $752 cash on his person, police said.  

According to the probable cause statement, a search of the trunk uncovered a stolen handgun, a backpack that contained 849 fentanyl pills, $190 cash, and 81.7-gram and 82.9-gram bags of marijuana. A second backpack contained marijuana packaged separately, a scale, $420 cash, foil, about 80 fentanyl pills and Anderson’s identification card, the police document said. 

Police believed Anderson was driving under the influence and obtained a warrant for his blood, police said. 

Investigators seized phones from Anderson and Manuel with the intent to get a warrant to search them, police said.