On June 4, 2019, Officers Michael Pupo and George Malval were dispatched to a call, in reference to a male and female, sitting inside a vehicle smoking an illegal substance. Upon arrival, the officers approached the vehicle and made contact with the male and female occupants. The officers, being keen and alert, instantly smelled an odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The occupants admitted to smoking marijuana inside the vehicle and granted the officers consent to check the vehicle. Subsequent to a systematic search of the vehicle, Officers Pupo and Malval located 11.5 grams of suspect marijuana in the front seat area. While conducting the narcotics investigation, Officer Pupo had a suspicion about the male and thought that he recognized him from a North Miami Police "Be on the Look-Out" (B.O.L.O.) flyer. A records check confirmed Officer Pupo's suspicion. The male was indeed wanted in connection to a sexual battery, where a 14-year-old girl was raped. Officer Pupo notified the lead detective on the investigation, ultimately leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Officer Malval continued with the narcotics investigation, at which time, the narcotics in question tested positive for marijuana. Further investigation revealed that the female in the vehicle was a juvenile, and the male suspect was contributing to the delinquency of a minor, by encouraging her to smoke marijuana.
Working as a team, the officers utilized their experience to recognize the smell of illegal narcotics emanating from the vehicle and were able to confiscate illegal marijuana from the suspects. In addition, their diligence and attention to daily briefings, and review of B.O.L.O. flyers assisted in the capture of a sexual battery subject who could have continued to prey on others.
