SRSO continues inmate death investigation

MILTON — Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson held a press conference on July 9 to update the community on the death of an inmate while she was in custody and to announce a large drug bust in Gulf Breeze.

Johnson announced that on July 5 at about 8:40 p.m., Lynsey Taylor, 25, from Navarre, was arrested for grand theft, criminal mischief and burglary. As she was transported to jail, she complained of medical conditions that were bothering her.

"We called EMS and had them transport Taylor to Gulf Breeze Hospital," Johnson said.

At 12:36 a.m., Taylor was medically cleared to go back to the county jail. Johnson said that Taylor mentioned suicide as she was being jailed and the jail provided her a suicide watch.

"We provided someone to watch her at all times after we thought she may injure herself," Johnson said. "We also put her in a 'suicide robe' to prevent any other injuries."

Johnson said Taylor became very quiet. Detention staff called for an ambulance at 2:43 a.m. and Taylor was transported to Santa Rosa Medical Center. She arrived at the hospital at 3:05 a.m., Johnson said, and was pronounced dead by medical staff at 3:45 a.m.

The death is still under investigation after the initial autopsy found a cellophane-type bag in one of her body cavities, Johnson said. According to Johnson's description, the bag they found in her body had apparently ruptured and whatever was in the bag was absorbed into Taylor's body.

The sheriff said that it would take an additional six weeks before they can find out what was in the bag and if its contents caused an accidental overdose.

"We ask every person we process if they have anything hidden or if they have ingested any types of drugs," Johnson said. "Taylor risked her life so she wouldn't get another felony charge."

Johnson also announced large amounts of drugs were found at a traffic stop in Gulf Breeze at 6 p.m. July 6. Arrested were Nathaniel Drew Allemang, age 20, and Tomas Mateo Martinez, age 18, both of Gulf Breeze.

Found in the car was $8,250 in cash, several cellphones, 3,300 tabs of LSD, 261 grams of marijuana in its natural state, 94 vials of THC vape cartridges, and 10.5 grams of MDMA.

Johnson did not have a value on the confiscated drugs; he did estimate the street value of the LSD to be about $33,000.

"I was surprised to see that much LSD," Johnson said.

The sheriff said he sees a lot of pot and meth in drug arrests around here. He said he had not seen that much LSD in a long time.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: SRSO continues inmate death investigation