Plainfield Man Falls Asleep at Wheel and Gets Busted for Pot

Photo: Ronald I. Rameriz (Courtesy of the Will County Sheriff’s Office)

A Plainfield man has been arrested after allegedly falling asleep at a traffic light where police discovered he had a large amount of marijuana and cash, according to Joliet Deputy Chief Ed Gregory.

Gregory said Joliet Police Tactical Officers were on patrol at around 2 a.m. Aug. 12 in an unmarked car when they were at a traffic light traveling eastbound on Black Rd. and Raynor Ave. When the light turned green, several vehicles began to honk their horns and ended up going around a 2015 Jeep Compass. When officers got behind the jeep they used their squad airhorn to get the driver’s attention, which didn’t work.

Officers went to the car and knocked on the driver’s side window to get the attention of the driver, Ronald I. Rameriz, a 28-year-old resident of the 14000 block of S. Oregon Drive in Plainfield. According to Gregory, Ramirez previously resided in Bolingbrook.

“They observed Rameriz, who appeared to be sleeping, with his arms folded over the steering wheel and his face in his arms,” Gregory said.

After 30 seconds of knocking, Rameriz rolled down the window and said he was sorry for passing out and claimed he was overly tired.

“As officers were speaking with him, they could smell a strong odor of cannabis coming from the interior of the vehicle,” Gregory said. “They asked Rameriz to exit the vehicle and requested the K9 officer to come over.”

The K9 found a backpack on the rear passenger seat. When officers unzipped the bag, they found a clear Tupperware bowl which contained 10 clear, plastic baggies of a green, leafy substance which tested positive for marijuana. According the police report, Ramirez had over 150 grams of cannabis. Also in the bowl were five cell phones. Ramirez allegedly had over $2,000 in cash on him, as well.

Policed had the car towed from the scene and seized the phones, marijuana and cash.

Ramirez was charged with delivery and manufacturing of marijuana above 30 grams but less than 500.