According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office, execution of a warrant for one fugitive led to two arrests. Friday, members of Special Operations executed a search warrant for fugitive Leslie Baggett, 32, of Milton at her residence on record wanted for possession of cocaine and marijuana reports said. Law enforcement surveillance observed Baggett in her front yard and she was back inside when marked units and Special Operations Division investigators identified themselves at her door and knocked, according to reports. Reports said a male voice said he was coming to open the door before they heard running. Reports said law enforcement forced entry after repeating the order to open the door and hearing the male voice answer he was coming. They found a black male, later identified as Jeremiah Thomas, 24, of Milton standing within arm's reach of the front door near the hallway leading to the bathroom reports said. The room, according to reports, smelled of burnt marijuana and Thomas was arrested.
Deputies reported they heard a female voice coming from the bathroom saying she was using it and heard the toilet flushing. The female, reports said, was later identified as Baggett did not comply when ordered to open the door, so deputies entered by force. Baggett stated she had been using the bathroom, according to reports, but did not say why the floor was wet, her arm was wet to the elbow, and why the toilet was backed up. Reports said she was removed as well. During a sweep of the residence for other persons, reports said law enforcement found crack cocaine and marijuana in plain view on the nightstand table. According to reports, Baggett was read her rights.
With a secondary search warrant, deputies found crack cocaine broken into salable pieces, according to reports, which also said deputies found powder cocaine, a hydrocodone pill, a small bag of marijuana, and a piece of paperwork appearing to be court minutes from the current criminal case for which Thomas is out on bond.
Thomas and Baggett were arrested, according to reports, on charges of possesssion of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an offider without violence, and destruction of evidence.
Reports said Thomas is a violent felony offender with an extensive criminal history and is out on bond with GPS monitoring for a series of violent offenses at the time of the report. Reports went on to say Thomas has a history of prior narcotics violations throughout his life and shows no indication of changing his behavior. According to reports, Thomas is believed to present an ongoing concern for public safety based on information collected to this point and is currently being held without bond.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: SRSO: 'Fugitive', 'violent offender' arrested