Walton County Sheriff's Office, Florida

@4score__7 and savory. 😉

@WCSOFL Sweet haul!!!

Ay, South Walton High School Beta Club, you da real MVPs. That hand sani is gonna get right to work along with the jitter juice.🥴

100 GRAMS OF METH, FENTANYL, GUN FOUND FOLLOWING TRAFFIC STOP; TWO ARRESTED WALTON COUNTY, Fla— A man and woman were arrested early Thursday after attempting to flee from deputies during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 90 in DeFuniak Springs. Deputies recovered more than 100 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl, prescription narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm from the vehicle. At 5 am, a @WCSOFL deputy tried to stop a black Volkswagen sedan near Highway 90 and Cottonwood Boulevard after noticing a taillight out on the vehicle. The driver, later identified as Fabian Joseph Rutherford, 35, accelerated rapidly, reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour before losing control of the vehicle and spinning into the roadway. Deputies used a controlled stopping technique to prevent the car from taking off again and endangering other drivers. Rutherford jumped through the driver’s side window and tried to run, but when he saw deputies closing in, he quickly got onto his stomach and surrendered about 10 feet from the vehicle. A syringe was found in his pocket. The passenger, Jada Jay Urich, 19, also attempted to flee but was apprehended by deputies. She also had a needle in her pocket. A search of the car revealed 116.2 grams of methamphetamine, 3.9 grams of fentanyl, a loaded handgun, a black magnetic container with narcotics residue, multiple clear plastic bags and other paraphernalia, eight Buprenorphine/Naloxone patches and two Suboxone tablets. While being booked into the Walton County Jail, Urich was found to have methamphetamine hidden in her underwear. Rutherford has an extensive criminal history spanning multiple Florida panhandle counties, which led to him serving more than 11 years in the @FL_Corrections over four separate sentences. These include a nearly four‑month incarceration in 2008; a lengthy imprisonment from 2009 to 2014 lasting four years and seven months; another extended period from 2017 to 2021 totaling just over four years; and the latest sentence from 2023, where he was released in November 2025. He is now charged with fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, obstruction without violence, trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and commission of a felony with a weapon. Jada Jay Urich is charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of fentanyl, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction without violence, smuggling contraband into a detention facility, and commission of a felony with a weapon. Both were transported and booked into the Walton County Jail, where they await first appearance.

VOTE FOR WCSO K-9 ARIES IN FSA MARCH MADNESS! @WCSOFL is doing #MarchMadness in more ways than one this #SpringBreak! We've entered one of our new K-9's, ARIES, to be the @FLSheriffs Top Dog in Florida! Here's how it works: 1. Click the link woobox.com/8gkrc8 2. You will have the opportunity to select “vote” for one K9 in each match. ARIES IS MATCH UP 13/16! 3. Be sure to enter your name and confirm that you want to pet that dog. This ensures that no robots are voting; we have heard robots don’t care about petting that dog. 4. Your personal voting bracket will appear at the end to show that you have completed voting for this round. 5. Voting ends on 3/23/26 at 6 PM CST VOTE FOR ARIES IN MATCH UP 13/16!!

“Deputy Matthew Mixon Badge #369 handled an incident involving my son exceptionally well. I wanted to make sure you all knew how he handled a call during such a difficult time and assisted my son with care and respect. The incident could have gone badly without Deputy Mixon’s assistance.” - C.D. This is not surprising to hear about @WCSOFL Deputy Matthew Mixon. Mixon is one of SEVEN siblings and is consistently getting compliments and accolades from people in the community about his grace, patience, compassion, and professionalism. Great job, Mixon!

@TexasPharmD No, they were renting, actually. And didn't get their deposit back. 🙃

@WCSOFL SEC baby! We own Walton County!

Allow us to address the elephant in the room. Yea, Alabama. Evicted before 7 pm. That's gotta be a new record. Tuesday, just after 5 pm, the @WCSOFL was called by a property manager for a home on Overlook Circle in Miramar Beach. They asked for a deputy to stand by while they evicted a group having a house party and probably playing Dixieland Delight too loud. No one inside was 21. Heading back to Sweet Home Alabama before sunset must've been a Tide-al wave of emotions. Our agency will continue to aggressively monitor those here on Spring Break who disrupt the quality of life for those who call Walton County home.

Hold on there, Pistol Pete. This looks mighty familiar. Oklahoma State University has joined the chat. If you're getting a little deja vu, it's because less than a week ago, this property management company had a tiger by the tail with this address. Yep. This is the same location LSU was told to vacate just a few short days ago. The message we're trying to send is simple: if you're coming to Walton County expecting to negatively impact the quality of life for residents, you will be dealt with accordingly. That may or may not include an eviction, an arrest, or both. Property management companies are cracking down. "lEt tHeM bE kIdS yOu pArTy pOoPeRs..." 🙄 That can be done respectfully and with your neighbors in mind. Not by getting multiple calls in the middle of the night for being rowdy, Cowboy. No Pokes to the 'ol Pokey this time. But, they ain't stayin' here. SEC - 0 Big 12 Conference - 0 WCSO - 4

@evanrossdavis @SEC Weird, did we say they were arrested for that? No. They were evicted by property management companies. If they were arrested, it was for open house parties, breach of peace, or minor in possession.

It's @SEC - 0 @WCSOFL 3 All you throwin' shade our way, "lEt tHeM bE kIdS." We appreciate you spreading the message for us and all the retweets. All you're doing is helping the cause. Walton County is a family vacation destination. Not a come and trash your rental and disrupt quality of life spring break town. Act accordingly.

@jerseymikes Philly cheese steak. No peppers. 10/10.

feeling lucky? prove it. drop your go-to order below ☘️

@NoahsArkc People live full-time in this area. This isn't frat road. Keeping the neighborhood up at all hours of the night and disrupting people's quality of life isn't going to fly in Walton County. They can bring that back to Texas.

@WCSOFL So some college kids rented a house and stayed in to drink with other spring breakers. No drunk driving, no guns, no coke? Sweet arrest. Nerds

HOOK 'EM.... up. Texas is on the board, folks. Just after midnight Monday, @WCSOFL responded to a noise complaint on Los Angeles Street in Miramar Beach. When deputies got to the house and announced themselves, people began flooding out of the residence like someone had unlatched Bevo's gate after taking a selfie. Those inside said that the 19-year-old who rented the home was "down the street". However, four admitted they had contributed money toward renting the house. Walter Bristol, 19, of Abbott, Texas, Brayden Flemming, 18, of Austin, Texas, Justin Teall, 19, of Spring, Texas, and Milam Olson, 19, of Dallas, Texas, were all arrested and charged with open house party. Olson was also charged with having a fake ID. They were all transported and booked into the Walton County Jail, more than 44 miles away in DeFuniak Springs. Mess with the bull, get the horns.

Can't pinch us. We're always in green. 🍀 Happy St. Patrick's Day. [📸: Jeff Talbert Photography]

Literally one in a million. Actually, one in a billion. Bailey, you are amazing. Always willing. Always reliable. Always smiling. You are so deserving of this recognition. You come to work every day, treating it as a labor of love, and we appreciate your dedication and work ethic. Bailey Stapp currently serves as our @WCSOFL's Law Enforcement Training Specialist. She coordinates all sworn and civilian training, manages instructor certifications, and ensures compliance with FDLE standards. As if that's not enough, Bailey is one of the few civilians at our agency to hold an FDLE General Instructor Certificate. She's a CPR instructor, agency liaison for the Law Enforcement Sponsorship Program, and the Florida Crime Information Center Coordinator. You'd have an easier time trying to list the things Bailey can't do. It would be blank. Bailey, congratulations on Employee of the 1st Quarter. You are an exceptional employee, and we are truly blessed to have you.

@YouMadeMeCum42 Heaven forbid they allow those who live here permanently to maintain their quality of life and not be rude and disrespectful.

@WCSOFL God forbid these college kids drink some beer and have some fun while out of school for the week.

@4FaithLiving It's important that you call us and that you are willing to allow deputies to act with you as a witness or victim. Quiet hours, according to our noise ordinance, are between 10 pm and 6 am.

@WCSOFL Can y'all also do the same thing on a daily basis with some neighbors of mine who do this on a weekly basis? They play their music so very loud I can hear it on the next street over and then there's always a guy yelling. It's some type of Latin music. I hear it from inside.

Who is the bestest boi? 🐕🐾 Who sniffed out not ONE but TWO methamphetamine busts in less than a week? Shortly before midnight on March 10th, a @WCSOFL K9 Deputy stopped a white Dodge Ram 1500 on 331 S near Myrtle Avenue for multiple equipment violations. K9 Aries was deployed for a free air sniff and alerted to the odor of narcotics present in the vehicle. A search revealed a cut straw with methamphetamine residue, a hypodermic needle, and approximately 37.4 grams of methamphetamine. Joseph Everett Byrd, 58, of Ponce De Leon, was arrested for trafficking methamphetamine. A charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting without violence. At the time of his arrest, Byrd was already out on bond for a prior possession of meth charge from January of this year. He was given a $252,000 bond and is still incarcerated at the time of this post. On Saturday, March 14th, Walton County Sheriff's Office deputies stopped a golf cart found driving on Kings Lake that was not street legal. K-9 Aries was called to assist and alerted to the presence of drugs. A search of the golf cart revealed approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine, individually packaged, a scale, needles, and a glass pipe. The driver, Christopher Miller, 48, of DeFuniak Springs, was arrested and charged with trafficking methamphetamine, delivering paraphernalia, possession of drug paraphernalia to transport drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia for use, failure to register a motor vehicle, and driving while license suspended with knowledge. He was given a $103,000 bond and is still incarcerated at the time of this release. As if a steak isn't warranted enough, K9 Aries is also in the running for @FLSheriffs K-9 March Madness. Stay tuned! Voting tips off on March 19th.