A Hot Springs woman was arrested early Friday for having a reportedly illegal firearm after she allegedly displayed it during a disturbance at a local convenience store.
Aquanetta Patrice Williams, 27, who lists a Bull Bayou Road address, was taken into custody shortly after 1 a.m. and charged with a felony count of possession of a defaced firearm, punishable by up to six years in prison.
She made an initial appearance Friday morning in Garland County District Court and was later released on $2,500 bond.
According to the affidavit, Hot Springs police responded to the Exxon, 1200 Central Ave., at 1 a.m. to a disturbance involving a firearm and spoke to witnesses who said a woman had pointed a gun at several other women there and then fled the scene in a white BMW headed south on Central.
Sgt. Frank Sears spotted a white 2002 BMW that matched the description at Garland and Linwood and made a traffic stop on it in the 200 block of Linwood. He made contact with the male driver and the female front seat passenger, identified as Williams, and noted there was a 9-mm pistol in plain view under the front passenger seat.
He retrieved the weapon and determined the serial numbers were all defaced, so he took Williams into custody.
When questioned, Williams reportedly admitted the pistol belonged to her and she kept it for protection. She said when they arrived at the Exxon earlier, five women had approached the vehicle "trying to fight her."
She said she felt threatened so she exited the vehicle holding the handgun, but she said she kept it pointed at the ground and did not point it at anyone.
The affidavit notes the women at the Exxon declined to file any charges in the incident.
Local on 08/26/2017