Cops find hypodermic needles during jail search of woman
A woman who Portage police said was shifting in her seat and “unable to sit still” Tuesday was later found by Porter County Jail staff to have two capped hypodermic needles in her crotch.
Shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, police initiated a traffic stop at U.S. 20 and Willowcreek Road for Stefanie Ruble, 30, with addresses listed in Crown Point, Griffith and Indianapolis, because she was driving erratically eastbound on U.S. 20, according to a report.
Police said Ruble was shifting in her seat as they approached her car and “would bounce in her seat and rapidly switch between leaning back and leaning forward in her seat.”
Ruble apologized for the erratic driving and said she was tired and headed to a nearby hotel. She also appeared to be falling asleep at one point before jerking awake.
Police asked her to exit the vehicle and could see she was leaned forward and not getting out of her vehicle; when an officer approached the driver’s side door, she reportedly had her hands under her legs.
Ruble, police said, stumbled after getting out of the vehicle and leaned against it for support; police had to keep her from falling over several times while speaking with her.
She said she hadn’t taken any prescription drugs or been drinking but police said she failed field sobriety tests.
Police transported Ruble to Portage Hospital for a blood draw and a urine sample, which reportedly indicated she had amphetamines, benzodiazepine, cannabinoid and opiates in her system.
Ruble told police she had a prescription for suboxone, which she took around midnight and forgot to tell police. She reportedly had no explanation for the other drugs in her system.
While Ruble was at the jail, staff there found two capped hypodermic needles in her crotch.
Ruble faces preliminary charges of a felony count of possession of a hypodermic needle and misdemeanor counts of operating while intoxicated; operating while intoxicated with a controlled substance; and operating while intoxicated endangering another person.
Over the weekend, deputies with the Porter Count Sheriff’s Department arrested a Valparaiso man on an out of state warrant who admitted to police that he had a glass smoking pipe and two small bags of methamphetamine in a small jar in his crotch.