COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The Collier County Sheriff's Office arrested a man who stole beef jerky.
The Sheriff's Office says Matthew James McNickles, 48, stole the jerky from a convenience store on Immokalee Road in Golden Gate Monday and then returned to the store a few hours later.
Deputies were advised that a man and a woman had stolen beef jerky and a case of water from the store around 4 a.m. and then came back.
When deputies arrived at the store, they spotted a blue Lincoln passenger vehicle that matched the suspect vehicle's description leaving the store parking lot. The Lincoln rolled through a stop sign at the exit on Oil Well Road.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in which McNickles was the passenger. They spotted an aluminum foil shaped like a pipe between McNickles' legs and several unopened beef jerky packets matching the description of the stolen ones. The aluminum foil was burnt as if it was used as drug paraphernalia.
A search of the vehicle turned up a black pouch containing glass pipes and several small plastic bags. One of the bags contained heroin.
The beef jerky was released back to the store.
McNickles was arrested and charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He is facing a felony narcotics charge after deputies found him in possession of heroin.
