Man, woman arrested on drug charges, woman claims to be prostitute
Fatima Byron, 23, was arrested on the charges of possession of cocaine and possession of methamphetamine.
Aaron Whitfield, 31, was arrested on the charges of possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine and false informing.
On Tuesday, officers with the Mishawaka Police Department were called to a hotel in the 4800 block of N. Main St. for a report of a black Cadillac circling the building repeatedly.
When officers approached the vehicle, the man in the driver's seat identified himself as "Blair Whitfield," reports said.
Police later identified him as Aaron Whitfield and discovered he had out of state warrants.
Whitfield told officers he was there to pick up his sister, who had a room at the hotel, reports said.
He showed officers his "sister's" ID, which was from the country of Palau and identified her as Fatima Byron.
When officers spoke to a manager at the hotel, the manager said Byron did not have a room but was visiting someone who did.
Whitfield again told police his sister had a room at the hotel and, when asked, denied that she was a prostitute, according to reports.
While speaking with him, police noticed alleged drugs on the floorboard of the vehicle Whitfield was driving.
One of two pill bottles in the vehicle contained cocaine, according to police.
The other bottle, found in a bag during a search of the vehicle, contained methamphetamine, police said.
Officers also found marijuana and a scale containing methamphetamine residue inside the bag, reports said.
Whitfield, who was the only person in the vehicle during the search, told police he was on probation for syringes, according to police.
Whitfield was arrested at the scene for the drugs.
Around this time, Byron left the hotel and identified herself as "Olana" (her middle name) to police, reports said.
Byron told police she didn't have a visa or Indiana ID but that she was staying with Whitfield, her boyfriend, according to reports.
Byron said she was at the hotel visiting a man she just met.
The man Byron was referring to said he met Byron on a dating app and denied paying money for sexual services, reports said.
Byron later told police she moved from Palau to Indiana in 2022 and that Whitfield was her boyfriend and her pimp, according to police reports.
She also allegedly admitted to being a prostitute and charging the man at the hotel for a meeting with her.
Byron said the bag containing the drugs found in the vehicle was hers, as she was a marijuana and pill user, reports said.
Police seized cell phones to look for more evidence of prostitution.
Both Byron and Whitfield's charges for promoting prostitution were dismissed.
Byron was released on her own recognizance on Wednesday.
Whitfield is being held on a $2,000 cash bond.
Their initial hearings are scheduled for March 8.