Arrested twice after traffic stops, and he wasn't even driving both times

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Sometimes it's the little things that'll get someone in trouble.

This defendant was arrested in what started as a traffic stop, and he wasn't even driving.

If only police officers hadn't seen him throw out a bag of pot.

If only he had given his name.

Throw in a bit of attitude and there’s trouble.

This one started as a report of cars racing in West Palm Beach on June 19 at almost 1 a.m.

The call was about several vehicles racing around Australian Avenue and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.

An officer with the city police department reported “two vehicles racing northbound on N. Australian Avenue.”

The arrest report said a sergeant “promptly observed the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle proceeded to continue driving northbound on N. Australian Avenue, failing to stop for the solid red light displayed on the traffic control device on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, and continue north.”

The officer writing the report “was able to reach [the sergeant] and the vehicle as they crossed the intersection and continued north, at which point [the sergeant] disengaged his traffic stop, and we proceeded to follow the vehicle at a safe speed and distance, never losing sight of the vehicle."

observed the tag to be obstructed via a dark film plate cover

The car continued north on Australian Avenue and made a right turn on 45th Street where, “I was able to close my distance with the vehicle, which was still driving at safe speeds and observed the tag to be obstructed via a dark film plate cover. I again initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle at 45th Street and Greenwood Avenue.”

But that also would not happen.

I was able to clearly observe a clear plastic baggie being thrown out

The car turned right on Broadway, made another right on 44th Street, and then into a gas station.

"As the vehicle proceeded to make a left turn into the parking lot, I was able to clearly observe a clear plastic baggie being thrown out of the passenger side window of the vehicle, which I could now clearly identify bearing Florida tag [number] due to better lighting conditions and my proximity. The vehicle came to a stop and upon my initial approach to the vehicle, I was instructed by [the sergeant] who had clearly observed the passenger of the vehicle as the individual which discarded the plastic baggie and had retrieved said baggy, to remove both occupants.”

The driver was not charged.

...stating he wanted a lawyer present

The report continued, “Upon its retrieval, I was able to identify the contents of the plastic baggie based on my training and experience as marijuana. The marijuana was later field tested, yielding a positive result and weighed 4 grams.

"While conducting my investigation, I asked the passenger of the vehicle to provide me with his identification via name and date of birth. Several times the passenger denied providing me with the requested information, stating he wanted a lawyer present. The passenger was subsequently placed under arrest and a photograph was sent to [a detective] who was able to positively identify him as Sandro Castro Maradiaga, 20, via facial recognition. I verified this identification via [his driver license] photograph on my [car computer].

Sandro Castro Maradiaga was charged with possession of marijuana, tampering with physical evidence, and failure to provide identification.

He was booked on June 19 at 3:58 a.m. and released in lieu of $3,000 bond about 21 hours later.

It wasn’t even his first arrest after a traffic stop.

But that wasn’t his first arrest. It wasn’t even his first arrest after a traffic stop.

Late on Feb. 15, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office caught him driving “with dark window tint and the vehicle was also equipped with a tinted tag cover over the license plate,” according to that arrest report. “It should be noted the vehicle also displayed a faulty tag light which did not illuminate the vehicle’s license plate.”

extremely nervous, his hands and speech was [sic] shaky

Castro Maradiaga was described as being “extremely nervous, his hands and speech was [sic] shaky and I observed him breathing heavily.”

The trouble really started when the agent smelled “burnt marijuana.”

the backpack was his ‘personal property’ and did not wish to assist me

In fact, during a search, “I asked Sandro how to open the backpack in order to prevent damaging the backpack. Sandro then stated that the backpack was his ‘personal property’ and did not wish to assist me in opening the bag.”

The agent also wrote about finding “a loaded black-colored .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. The firearm did not have a manufacture stamp on the firearm, nor displayed a serial number. This type of gun is considered a ‘Ghost firearm.’”

A short time later, “Sandro advised he understood his constitutional rights but stated multiple times ‘I plead the 5th’ and was uncooperative with any further questioning.”

He was charged with carrying a concealed firearm, and altering or removing a firearm serial number.

In May, Sandro Castro Maradiaga pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon. He was credited with the one day he spent in jail, and ordered to pay court coasts and the cost of prosecution.