DUBOIS –A DuBois man found passed out in his vehicle in the middle of a road is facing drug charges.
According to police, William Francis Runyon, 28, was found in a vehicle in the middle of the roadway of Whitford Avenue near South Brady Street in DuBois on March 4.
A later search of his vehicle reportedly uncovered 11 bags of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and clonazepam pills.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Runyon was reportedly leaning to the right side over the center console in the vehicle, which was still running.
A DuBois City officer had to knock twice on the window to get him to move. He then appeared confused, disoriented and was mumbling. Runyon reached around the vehicle trying to locate the window switch for several minutes before he rolled down the window.
He was reportedly incoherent and unable to answer simple questions. He was mumbling and reaching around the vehicle and into his pockets several times, even though he was instructed to keep his hands out of his pockets.
As he continued to search around the vehicle, the officer asked him what he was doing and he replied that he was looking for his cell phone.
He arched his back and leaned into the rear seat area to move a gray backpack cinch sack into the back seat. As he did so, the officer saw he had a folding knife clipped into his rear waistband and a cell phone sitting on the seat under him.
After the officer told him he was sitting on his phone, Runyon retrieved it and held it, pressing the screen several times. He then held it to his head as if he was calling someone, but the officer could see the welcome screen was displayed on the phone. Runyon claimed he was calling his mother.
By this point, he appeared more alert, but he was speaking very slowly, and took several minutes to respond to questions, police said.
The vehicle was still in drive, so the officer told him to shut the engine off. He complied and took the key from the ignition.
Because he appeared to be under the influence, Runyon was asked to perform a few simple tests including reciting the alphabet, which he could not finish. He allegedly admitted to the officer that he had consumed marijuana.
Runyon was asked to step outside the vehicle, but he still kept reaching in his pockets. The officer told him to place his belongings inside the vehicle while he performed field sobriety tests.
Runyon removed a capped tube from his front pants pocket, which appeared to be filled with marijuana. He was then taken into custody.
A search of his person uncovered a baggie containing a substance of suspected methamphetamine. He also appeared to have a large amount of cash in his wallet that he claimed was his pay for doing construction work.
He would not consent to a search of the vehicle because he said it did not belong to him. Runyon then explained he had purchased the vehicle but had not finished paying the owner for it.
After Runyon was cleared by emergency medical personnel, he was transported to Penn Highlands DuBois for a blood test, which he refused. Runyon was then taken to his mother’s home.
The vehicle was impounded and taken to the police station.
While taking an impound inventory of the car, an officer found a glass pipe with marijuana residue in it. He then applied for a search warrant.
In the vehicle, police found in the gray cinch backpack, drug paraphernalia, scales, 12 white pills, a metal bottle shaped container, which held 11 baggies of suspected methamphetamine and a plastic jar with a substance suspected to be methamphetamine. A silver box had clonazepam pills and a dollar bill with a brown/white powdery substance, according to the affidavit.
Runyon’s wallet reportedly had $670 in cash.
Runyon is charged with felony manufacture/delivery/possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and misdemeanor counts of possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence. He is incarcerated in the county jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.
In a second case, he is charged with misdemeanor retail theft for allegedly stealing clothing from the Goodwill store in DuBois on Feb. 16.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Friday for both cases.