Palm Coast, FL - A Flagler deputy originally pulled over a car on northbound I-95 after they saw that it had no working license plate lights. Then, they smelled the spray paint.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, the car, a black Nissan Versa, was pulled over around four o'clock this morning (May 28th) around mile marker 282 on northbound I-95.
In their report, the deputy noted that they could smell the strong odor of fresh spray paint as they approached the driver side window of the vehicle. There is where the deputy made contact with a black male driver and a passenger, who identified themselves as 40-year-old Asha Mohammad.
When asked, the driver provided their license but could not provide the registration for the vehicle.
However, it didn't seem as they would need it, as Flagler County Communications told the deputy a short time later that the car's tag – which was for a white Nissan Versa, not a black one – was reported stolen out of Orange County back on May 6th. The further told the deputy that the Orange County Sheriff's Office noted that the vehicle was leased to Mohammad and she failed to return it.
Mohammad additionally stated that she had been making payments, with the most recent being paid last week. She also told the deputy that she rented the car from someone named "Jesus" but was unable to provide the name of the rental car company. She also reportedly didn't know who spray-painted the car.
The driver of the vehicle told the investigating deputy that he had just met Mohammad in North Carolina. He also stated that Mohammad asked him to drive her down to Florida. Mohammad clarified that he had to drive the vehicle since she did not have a valid driver's license.
When asked about what color the vehicle was when he started driving it, he said he wasn't sure. The deputy also asked him if he knew where they were headed to when they were stopped, which is when Mohammad replied that they were headed to Orlando.
However, the pair was stopped on northbound I-95 in Flagler County, which is far from the Orlando area.
A later search of the vehicle also yielded a cigarette pack with a baggie containing a crystal-like substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine. Two glass pipes were also found in the vehicle, along with several empty black spray paint cans. The deputy's report says that Mohammad took responsibility for the drugs and the paraphernalia found in the car.
Receipts that were also found in the car indicated that someone bought a paint sprayer and a gallon of black paint from a Lowes store in Denver, North Carolina on Sunday (May 24th). There were also two separate Walmart receipts that showed that the vehicle was in Denver and later Rock Hill, South Carolina just yesterday (May 27th).
The driver was released from the scene along with a warning for the infraction while Mohammad was arrested and charged with grand theft, possession of drugs and possession of paraphernalia.
Jail records indicate that Mohammad is still in custody on a $5,500 bond. FCSO also noted that there are no photos of the vehicle available.
