Troy Rivera

BUFFALO TWP — A Philadelphia teenager nearly had to celebrate his birthday today behind bars.

Troy M. Rivera, 19, landed in the Butler County Prison following a traffic stop Saturday afternoon in Buffalo Township where state police found bags of suspected marijuana in a phony can of air freshener, authorities said.

District Judge Sue Haggerty on Sunday morning arraigned Rivera on felony and misdemeanor drug possession charges. He was placed in the county prison until 5 p.m., when he posted $10,000 bail and was released.

Court records showed the teen turned 19 today.

A trooper at the Kittanning station was on patrol on Route 28 about 4:15 p.m. Saturday when he spotted a car that Rivera was riding in make an improper lane change that nearly caused an accident with another vehicle, police said.

The car, which also had no registration sticker on the license plate, was stopped on Route 28 just before the Buffalo Bridge. The trooper was hit by the odor of marijuana as soon as he got to the vehicle, according to court documents.

A short time later, the driver, who was not identified in charging documents, was arrested when police learned he was wanted on a warrant.

A search of the car turned up a spray can of Glade air freshener that, it turned out, had a false bottom. Hidden inside, police said, were several plastic bags containing suspected marijuana.

Police said the can was found on the floor where Rivera was seated.

The trooper also found two more bags of suspected marijuana and a marijuana grinder, allegedly belonging to the defendant, in the vehicle.

A search of Rivera found him carrying a scale and $535 in cash.

“Upon asking Rivera how much money he had,” according to a police affidavit, “he related that he did not know and that it was birthday money.”