From Staff Reports

A juvenile visiting from Milwaukee and celebrating her birthday apparently went a bit too far, offering marijuana to a stranger, who turned out to be a police officer.

Two women and a juvenile female were arrested on drug charges Thursday afternoon after the 17-year-old offered a burning “marijuana blunt” to a police officer on his lunch break, in an unmarked car.

Officer Michael Hardy was returning to work downtown in his Buick LeSabre traveling south on Broad St. when he said he noticed the trio, who were also in a LeSabre.

“I had the window up and they couldn’t see me. The juvenile was in the back seat, then reached up front to turn the radio (volume) up,” Hardy said. “Then she was hanging out of back window hollering at me, saying it was her birthday.”

Officer Hardy said he then called Officer Walter Curtis, who was nearby in a patrol car, to pull the women over. Police discovered the burning marijuana in the car’s ash try, and a bag of marijuana under the car seat.

The juvenile was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. Also arrested were Evelyn Benjamin, 20, of 604 King St., and Jaketa Zeigler, 27, a resident of Chicago, Ill. Benjamin and Zeigler were both charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. according to police reports.