Picayune Police Department officers and investigators started the month of August with three drug-related arrests.

Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri said that on Aug. 1 just after midnight an officer patrolling Highway 11 North saw a black Ford pickup truck parked in front of a business that was closed for the night. The driver’s door was open and someone was sitting inside, he said. Because it was so late, and the business was closed, the officer made contact with the subject, later identified as Michael Mitchell, 47, 218 Telly Road, Picayune.

Magri said that as the officer spoke with Mitchell, he noticed that he was acting nervous and stuttering. Because of his behavior, the officer believed he was possibly under the influence of a narcotic, Magri said.

Consent to search the vehicle was provided to the officer, during which the officer found a silver container in the center console with a white crystal-like substance he believed to be methamphetamine, leading to Mitchell being arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, Magri said.

According to a departmental release, later that day Narcotics Division detectives proactively patrolling the city saw a north bound vehicle speeding down South Beech Street without a license plate, leading to a traffic stop, the release states.

Detectives approached the vehicle and asked the driver, identified as Jennifer Kay Daigrepont, 37, 56441 Almonaster St, Slidell, La., for her driver’s license, the report states. Detectives also asked for identification cards from the vehicle’s passengers, identified as Alice Smith Lannes, 58, 123 Marsha St., Picayune and Isah Lee Drummond, 46, 115 Caroline St, McNeill.

Daigrepont was unable to provide a valid license or valid insurance, the release states. While speaking to Daigrepont, officers noticed a 32 ounce beer next to Daigrepont’s legs and another between her legs.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle, detectives found a plastic bag containing a crystal substance in Daigrepont’s purse they believed to be methamphetamine. Inside Lannes’ purse, detectives found a plastic bag containing a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.

Lannes was arrested for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, Daigrepont was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, open beer, no driver’s license, no insurance and no tag and Drummond was issued a post-arrest citation for open beer and was released at the scene, the release states.