Traffic stop leads to drug and child neglect charges against West Columbia couple

An early Wednesday morning traffic stop on I-26 resulted in the arrest of a West Columbia couple headed home from Florida after a deputy smelled marijuana and found a small child in the car.

A subsequent search of the car turned up more drugs including heroin and cocaine, said Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell.

Yulamis Garcia, 26, and Andres Rodrigues,40 , were denied bond at separate hearings on Thursday.

An Orangeburg County Sheriff’s deputy said Rodrigues’ white Honda was clocked going more than 80 miles-per-hour on westbound I-26 around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. When he approached the car he smelled marijuana and Rodrigues readily admitted having a small amount of pot in the car. The deputy found both pot and 14 grams of heroin in the car.

A later search of the vehicle at the county impound lot turned up a “large quantity of drugs” worth an estimated $5,000 and and $2,200 in cash hidden in various places in the car, Ravenell said.

Rodrigues has been charged with trafficking cocaine and manufacturing a controlled substance. Garcia has been charged with child neglect. The child was turned over to the Department of Social Services.