Man Accused Of Hiding Drugs Inside Son's Backpack In SE Austin

EAST AUSTIN, TX — A man was arrested this week after being accused of hiding drugs inside his nine-year-old son's backpack during a traffic stop, according to an arrest affidavit.

Referencing the arrest document, the Austin American-Statesman reported police pulled over Danny Earl Mitchell, 44, along the 6100 block of Fairway Street near Pleasant Valley Road for failing to signal while turning onto Montopolis Drive. The officer at the scene smelled a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, prompting a search.

Officers later found a bag of pills and a white substance inside the child's backpack while the boy was sitting in the car behind Mitchell, according to the report. Mitchell was promptly arrested even while denying the drugs were his.

Mitchell was booked into Travis County Jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance to a minor, jail records show. He was being held at the jail on Thursday with a combined bail set at $70,000, according to jail records. A booking photo was unavailable.

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