VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A drone pilot located a man who was hiding underneath mangroves after he was caught riding into a closed park while carrying a backpack with methamphetamine in it, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they were patrolling at Seminole Rest Park Wednesday around 7:30 p.m. when they noticed a man on a bicycle riding toward the entrance even though the park was closed.
The man on the bike refused to stop and claimed he didn’t have any identification, records show.
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Deputies said they began searching and found the man’s bike and backpack abandoned in the mangroves. When they looked inside the backpack, they said they found two bags that contained crystal meth.
Another deputy with a drone was brought in to perform an aerial search of the park and was able to locate the suspect, 45-year-old Jeffrey Goodwin, hiding beneath the mangroves with a female friend, according to the affidavit.
Video shows the couple’s heat signature was what gave them away.
From there, deputies were able to navigate through the thick brush and locate the duo face down in the dirt, authorities said.
“Sheriff’s office, come on out here,” a deputy said in the footage.
Records show Goodwin claimed the bike and backpack weren’t his, even though a deputy spotted him with both items.
He was arrested on a violation of probation warrant as well as a possession of methamphetamine charge.