Police: Officer Looking for Injured Dog Finds Pa. Man Snorting Heroin

An officer looking for a dog who may have been struck by a car on Route 15 Friday afternoon instead found a Pennsylvania man snorting lines of heroin on the side of the roadway, Sparta Police said.

Charles Clark Venino IV, 25, of Exton, Pa., was charged with possession of heroin and possession of narcotics in a motor vehicle.

According to Sgt. John-Paul Beebe, Officer Frank Schomp was investigating a report of a possible dog struck by a car on Route 15 in the area of mile-marker 13 when he found Venino in a 2014 Toyota Corolla parked on the shoulder at about 4 p.m. Friday.

The officer approached the driver's side of the car and saw Venino snorting lines of heroin off a black magazine, Beebe said.

Venino tried to push the magazine down between the seats when he noticed the officer, Beebe said. Three empty glassine bags of heroin marked "Instagram" and four full bags of heroin marked "Victory" were recovered from the vehicle, Beebe said.

Venino was charged and released on his own recognizance.

Officers searched the area and along Route 15 between the Jefferson and Lafayette borders but did not find any sign of an injured dog, Beebe said.