He stole a car, almost hit a cop and then got busted for 28 grams of meth, police say

A 33-year-old Bradenton man is facing multiple felony charges after cops say he stole a car, almost hit a deputy’s vehicle and then had several illegal narcotics hidden in the vehicle.

A Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy was leaving the Avalon Square Apartments on an unrelated call when Todd Carey was turning right into the apartment complex, took the turn too wide and almost struck the deputy’s car.

According to the police report, the deputy had just received a call about the same SUV matching a description of a stolen vehicle and that the suspect had a Mohawk hair style. The deputy noted the driver also met the description so he turned around and drove back into the apartment complex.

Carey exited the vehicle and when confronted by the deputy, pointed at himself and asked, “Who me?” according to the report.

Cops say Carey denied any knowledge of the vehicle being stolen and he was detained while the vehicle was searched.

Inside, cops say they found eight baggies containing a powdery residue and another baggie containing a substance that weighed 28.1 grams, which tested positive for methamphetamine.

The deputy reports that Carey started yelling from the back of his patrol car as soon as the deputy found the bag containing the meth. When the deputy went to see what Carey was yelling about, “He began to ramble in a panicked tone asking what I was doing with the bag and why I grabbed it,” the report states.

Carey then denied knowing about the bag and claimed it belonged to a passenger, but that he didn’t know the passenger’s name.

Carey was booked into the Manatee County jail for motor vehicle theft and possession of methamphetamine. He remained in custody as of Friday.

According to jail records, Carey has a lengthy arrest record compiled in the past four years. His prior arrests include possession of a controlled substance, introduction of a contraband into a detention facility, burglary and contempt of court.