Released May 9 by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office …
WASHINGTON COUNTY, FL – A Panama City Beach man, who was apparently hallucinating, was arrested in Washington County on drug charges after alleging a man chased him into a campground bathroom in Ebro. 52-year-old James Staite (shown at right) admitted to using meth earlier in the day.
Just before 11 p.m. on April 25th, Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call on Long Leaf Road. The caller, Staite, claimed an unknown male chased him into the restroom and was now attempting to break in.
Once deputies were on scene, Staite produced a video alleging he had captured the incident on his cell phone. Deputies were unable to see anything in the video that corroborated Staite’s story.
During the investigation, deputies located Staite’s car at the intersection of Environmental Road and Long Leaf Road. K-9 Jet was then deployed and immediately alerted to the presence of illegal drugs in the vehicle.
A search resulted in deputies locating methamphetamine and multiple hypodermic needles. A digital scale was also discovered, which tested positive for methamphetamine.
Staite was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail on the charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and an outstanding warrant out of Bay County for violation of probation.