Crime & Safety

Woman Caught with Heroin, Tries to Swallow Evidence: Midlothian Police Blotter

Harvey resident Jessica M. McCottrell was alledgedly found by police to have 22 tinfoil packages containing just over 13 grams of heroin on her person after a police search. McCotrell claimed the heroin was not hers.

Jessica M. McCottrell, 25, of the 15600 block of S. Marshfield Avenue, Harvey, was charged with delivery or possession with intent to deliver heroin and cited for possession of cannabis, following a routine field encounter with police in the 14700 block of S. Turner Avenue on Thursday, Nov. 8.

While on patrol, police noted a white Ford Crown Victoria parked, with its engine running, and no headlights on. Officers saw two individuals in the car and due to the area being a high crime area, officers conducted a routine field stop.

As officers approached the vehicle, McCottrell opened the driver's side door and officers smelled a strong odor of burnt cannabis. Officers asked McCottrell and her passenger, Romel E. Shanklin, 24, of the 14700 block of S. Turner Avenue, to exit the car.

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Police asked if there was any contraband in the car. McCottrell said there was none in the car, but she did have “a little bit of weed,” in her purse. While speaking with officers, McCottrell asked to retrieve her coat from the car, which officers said they would get for her.

She ignored the officers and began moving towards the car and officers noted a large bulge in the back of her pants. Officers then handcuffed her, and asked what the bulge was, at which point McCottrell grabbed a plastic bag from her waistband and attempted to swallow the bag.

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Officers performed an emergency take down and retrieved the bag, which contained 22 individually packaged tinfoil packets, which were vacuum-sealed in a plastic baggie.

Both McCottrell and Shanklin were taken into custody and transported to the Midlothian Police Department, where McCottrell became upset and began crying and vomited. The 22 tinfoil packets were tested and came back positive as 13.4 grams of heroin, which McCottrell said was not hers and denied ever using heroin.

Based on the packaging, McCotrell was charged with delivery or possession with intent to deliver heroin and then transported to the Markham Courthouse for a bond hearing.

Police Blotter information is provided by the Midlothian Police Department. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.


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