Suspected panhandler charged with drug possession

A Clearwater man was arrested Tuesday after a sheriff's deputy observed him soliciting at an intersection, according to an arrest report.

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office had warned Stanley T. Bobin, 55, against panhandling "several times," but he still walked onto the paved roadway and collected money from five different vehicles, deputies said.

Bobin was standing along a grassy median holding a cardboard sign that stated he was homeless and needed help, according to the report. He was soliciting at the corner of U.S. 19 and State Road 50, across from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, deputies said.

Bobin also was caught with hydrocodone, a prescription pain reliever, according to the report.

He was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. and charged with possession of a controlled substance and violating an ordinance violation, deputies said.