Ohio woman busted for drug possession as pet raccoon holds meth pipe

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Chewy the raccoon was just an innocent bystander.

Police in Ohio said an officer encountered a strange scene this week when a raccoon was found inside a vehicle holding a meth pipe.

According to the Springfield Township Police Department, Officer Austin Branham conducted a traffic stop Monday evening, near Akron, after identifying a vehicle whose owner had an active warrant and a suspended driver’s licence.

During the investigation, the officer detained the driver, 55-year-old Victoria Vidal, of Akron, without incident.

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However, police said the routine traffic stop took an unusual turn.

“As Officer Branham returned to the vehicle, he observed a raccoon named ‘Chewy’ sitting in the driver’s seat with a meth pipe in its mouth,” police said on Facebook. “Chewy had somehow gotten hold of a glass methamphetamine pipe, leading officers to further inspect the vehicle.”

The cop searched the vehicle and found a bulk amount of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and three used glass meth pipes.

Vidal was charged with possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and was cited for driving under suspension. She was also turned over to Cuyahoga Falls Police on the active warrant.

Police said Vidal could face additional charges related to crack cocaine possession following lab test results.

Cops also released images and bodycam footage of the pet raccoon holding a meth pipe.

“Thankfully, Chewy the raccoon was unharmed, and notification was made to the proper authorities to determine that she has the proper paperwork and documentation to own the raccoon,” police said.

“While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first! No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident.”

It is illegal to keep wildlife without a permit and keep wild animals as pets in Ohio, reports NBC affiliate WCMH. However, raccoons, foxes, deer, moose, caribou, zebras, llamas, alpacas, emu, elk and tarantulas are generally permitted as exotic pets.