A traffic stop on a vehicle without a license plate led to the arrest Sunday night of a local woman with an allegedly stolen gun and drugs in the car.
Jasmine Shanice Nutt, 26, who lists a Lowery Street address, was taken into custody shortly after 7:30 p.m. and charged with a felony count of theft by receiving of a firearm, punishable by up to six years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The driver of the vehicle, Darius Kyri Walker, 39, who lists an Oakwood Avenue address, was also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police Officer William Stockwell stopped a gold 1998 Saturn at Pleasant Street and Grand Avenue after noticing it wasn't displaying a license plate. As soon as the car stopped, the front seat passenger, identified as Nutt, got out and "lit a stick of incense."
The officer made contact with Walker and as Walker picked up his face mask from the center console to put it on, Stockwell noted a marijuana bong underneath it. Neither Walker nor Nutt claimed ownership of the bong.
Nutt was asked to step on the sidewalk and she asked if she could get her bag that was in the passenger side floorboard. Stockwell told her she couldn't have the bag right then. Because of the bong, the officer searched the car and found a pink bag in the floorboard, which contained a 9-mm handgun that was determined to have been reported stolen in the county.
Nutt was taken into custody and reportedly told Stockwell she had some marijuana in her bra which was recovered, approximately 0.7 gram. She also reportedly said she had bought the pink bag earlier that day.