OCALA, Fla. – A woman facing five criminal charges including two felonies was released from jail after a trip to the hospital. She was taken there to find drugs inside her, but not inside any sort of container.
A sheriff’s deputy in Florida searching for “a suspicious person” on the evening of Jan. 18
found Tracy Ann Freiwald “matching the description provided,” her arrest report said. “Upon making contact with the defendant, she spontaneously uttered that she had stolen a cooler, and apologized.”
That wouldn’t be the only piece of information she’d volunteer.
“The defendant advised she stole the cooler to put her groceries in, due to her power being out,” and it was found nearby, along with a lifting weight and sheetrock mud pan.
“The cooler was located outside of the shed in front of the door,” a neighbor, the victim, told deputies, and, “The weight and the pan were located inside of the shed.
“The victim advised the items inside of the shed were organized when she left them,” and, “There were several items out of place, rummaged through, and items on the floor.
“Later, during a search of the defendant’s red bag incident to arrest, a grill brush was located, which the victim also advised belonged to her. The victim advised the grill brush was previously located on the grill outside of her residence.”
The victim went through the items and the total value of the stolen property added up to $123.
Authorities said Freiwald admitted “she took the cooler and the other items from the location.”
But then, “During a search of the defendant incident to arrest,” having to do with theft, and absolutely nothing to do with drugs, “She advised she had concealed methamphetamine in her vagina.
“The defendant advised it was not in a bag,” the arrest report said, “and stated she placed only the substance in her vagina. Due to this allegation, medics responded to transport the defendant to Advent health.”
That turned out to be easier said than done.
“After removing the defendant from my vehicle,” the deputy continued, “she pulled away from me and fled on foot. The defendant was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit and placed in the ambulance.”
Freiwald still wasn’t done. Her story picks up in a hospital hallway.
“The defendant removed a blue/clear container from her pants without being instructed to, while being transported to a room,” the arrest report said. “[Another deputy] advised the defendant then took the container and placed it under the mattress in an attempt to conceal the container. [The deputy] observed this incident take place and retrieved the container.
“Within the container was a white crystal-like residue that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.”
Finally, Freiwald went to jail, where she was booked shortly after midnight.
Her other arrest happened early on May 12, 2023, when an Ocala police officer investigating “a suspicious vehicle” found her in the car.
Freiwald told the officer “her boyfriend was walking around, looking at the trees,” and the cop found him about a block away, “shining a flashlight around the area. [He] eventually walked over to me and he stated he is checking the area for oil.”
Freiwald was found to have “a non-extraditable warrant out of Pennsylvania for driving under the influence.”
Tracy Ann Freiwald’s Court Summary from the Indiana Court of Common Pleas by Lenny Cohen on Scribd
That apparently happened in 2021, and DUI wasn’t the only change she faced. Her record there goes back decades.
Freiwald’s boyfriend owned the suspicious car and he gave officers permission to search it. They didn’t find any contraband inside.
“However,” the cop wrote, “while I was searching, I observed the defendant walk into the vacant lot, stating she had to pee.
“I told her she was not allowed to pee in the lot, and that she needed to find a bathroom. The defendant stood in one spot in the lot while I searched the vehicle.
“After searching the vehicle, I walked over to the defendant and observed a small silver case to be laying on top of the grass between her feet. The defendant began to walk back to the car and I asked if the case was hers, to which she denied.
“The case was laying on top of the fresh grass and was not dirty. I opened the case and observed a small bag of a crystal-like substance. I then detained the defendant. After field testing the crystal-like substance, it tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.”
Freiwald was taken to jail for possession of methamphetamine and spent three weeks locked up, apparently for nothing.
Announcement of No Information, June 8, 2023 by Lenny Cohen on Scribd
On June 3, she finally posted $2,000 bond. Then, on June 8, prosecutors decided not to pursue the charge, writing, “Although there was probable cause for the arrest, based on the underlying facts and circumstances, the likelihood of conviction at trial is slight.”
Where Freiwald was eventually able to “pee” was not included in the arrest affidavit.
Her boyfriend wasn’t arrested that night, but he was twice since then, first for methamphetamine and then criminal mischief.
This time, after the cooler and the shed, Freiwald, 51, was charged with burglary, tampering with evidence, resisting without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, and petit theft $100 to $750.
She was freed on her own recognizance after only 12 hours behind bars, and she pleaded not guilty.