TAMPA, Fla. — A father in South Tampa, Fernando Valdivia, is shaken up after he told ABC Action News that 27 grams of meth were delivered to his doorstep on Wednesday.
“My son came when the UPS guy came and brought the package in and then he started opening the package. After he realized it wasn’t his package he said, 'Dad here’s a package.' I was like, what’s going on?"
That’s when Valdivia said he became suspicious because he wasn't expecting a package.
“The other red flag was that the package was not new, it was from Colorado. Then I kept opening and I realized as soon as I saw the Walmart bag, I said, oh, this is not right. This is not right. So I opened that Walmart bag, and there it was," Valdivia added.
He said there was a strong odor coming from the bag.
“I immediately thought this was drugs," Valdivia explained. “My kids were very anxious they kept trying to touch the bag and I said do not touch the bag! And then my oldest went and wanted to send a picture to his mom and I said what are you doing, go wash your hands and then we all washed our hands, left the package outside."
Valdivia told us that as a father, he was immediately flushed with emotions. He said he wasn’t sure if his sons had already inhaled the substance after initially opening the package.
“I thought the worst, of course, because I've seen so many documentaries of people even passing out when they smell something like that," Valdivia said.
He said once Tampa police arrived, they began testing what was in the bag.
“It was 27 grams of pure meth. They brought this scale and then they did the test kit right here on the front half, the front of my house. And then they were shocked," Valdivia added.
Valdivia said he’s concerned for his family’s safety and this is a terrifying experience he wishes on no one.
“My kids know that we're in a different world now that you can receive drugs to your house, and you are not safe anywhere. So it's, it's my son last night said, before he went to bed. Are we safe, dad? And I said yes. I will protect you,” Valdivia explained.
We reached out to Tampa Police Department they told ABC Action News that this is an ongoing investigation, but they can confirm drugs were delivered to the home.
The department said it wants to remind everyone that if you receive a suspicious package, do not open it and call the police immediately.
