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Exclusive: BSO Says Couple Busted For Trafficking Drugs With Baby In Hotel Room

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DEERFIELD BEACH (CBSMiami) – Drugs, guns and a baby – that's what the Broward Sheriff's Office said they found inside a Deerfield Beach hotel room on Sunday. Now a man and a woman face serious felony charges of armed drug trafficking and child neglect.

BSO said Erik Sanchez and Tamisha Burnell not only planned to sell large amounts of heroin and other drugs, but they were in a La Quinta Inn hotel room with a baby.

Investigators said they even tried to hide their drugs inside baby items, like a canister of baby formula.

Broward Sheriff's Detective Christian Peralta said investigators did find a powdery substance inside that can, but he says it wasn't formula.

Deerfield Drug Bust Formula Bottle With Heroin
BSO investigators said Erik Sanchez and Tamisha Burnell tried to hide their drugs inside baby items, like a canister of baby formula. (Source: Broward Sheriff's Office)

"That's crack cocaine and the next bag – that's powdered heroin," Peralta said, while showing CBS4 News a copy of an evidence photo of the formula can.

Peralta said those drugs and packaged heroin worth tens of thousands of dollars – along with crack cocaine and oxycodone – was found inside the room.

"From my experience they were either actively selling out of that room or they were gonna go somewhere to drop that off to be sold," Peralta said.

Peralta said not only did the pair try to conceal drugs in the formula can, but also in the bottom of other items – such as a bottle of bleach and can of powdered juice mix. Peralta said investigators also found some surprising items inside a baby bag that had baby clothes on top to hide what was underneath.

Deerfield Drug Bust Bag
Investigators said they found money, two firearms and narcotics inside a baby bag that had baby clothes on top to conceal them. (Source: Broward Sheriff's Office)

"On the bottom they had more narcotics," Peralta said. "More heroin, more cocaine. There was also two firearms located inside that baby bag."

One of the guns was loaded, Peralta said.

BSO said they also found crushed bath salts on a counter with a baby bottle a short distance away.

Detective Peralta told CBS4's Carey Codd it was a bath salt and he has a strong suspicion that it could be flakka. They're awaiting test results.

Peralta said the child was in a dangerous situation in that room with weapons, ammunition and loads of drugs.

"It's unfortunate that you have two adults that are caring for a child and they're doing nonsense like this," he said. "Granted, everybody's gonna do whatever they're gonna do, but don't do that while you have a baby with you. That child should have never been in that room."

Child protective investigators removed the baby and the Department of Children and Families said the child is being cared for by relatives.

Both Sanchez and Burnell are being held in jail without bond. BSO said Sanchez is currently on probation on a drug charge out of Palm Beach County.

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