Suspicious vehicle check leads to arrests

A check of a suspicious vehicle late Thursday led to the arrest of two suspects on drugs and weapons charges.

Stephanie Ann Knox , 19, who lists an address of 461 Walnut St., was charged with possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, punishable by up to six years in prison, and James Isiah Johnson, 20, who lists an address of 145 Lafayette St., was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a weapon, punishable by up to one year in jail.

According to reports, around 8 p. m., Hot Springs Police Officer Adam Harper responded to the 100 block of Arbor Street to check on complaints of a suspicious vehicle, described as a white Camaro, with possible weapons involved.

Harper spotted a white Camaro backed into the parking lot at 150 Arbor and, when the driver apparently saw the approaching police unit, the vehicle pulled out.

He checked the license plate and found it returned to a different vehicle, so he made a traffic stop and asked the occupants to step out.

A pedestrian informed officers he saw the occupants of the vehicle throw items out just before the traffic stop. Harper noted while talking with the occupants, identified as Knox and Johnson, he noticed a small plastic bag with an off- white powder on the ground.

HSPD Officer First Class Paul Allen questioned Knox and she allegedly admitted the bag, containing 1.4 grams of what later tested positive for crack cocaine, belonged to her and that she had hid it in her bra and threw it on the ground when she thought the officers weren’t looking.

The officers also located a Taurus handgun in the parking lot and Johnson allegedly admitted it was his and he threw it on the ground in an attempt to conceal it. Both suspects were taken into custody.

Knox, who was previously convicted of a felony in 2009, was later released on $ 2,500 bond while Johnson was released on $ 1,000 bond. Both are set to appear June 26 in Garland County District Court.

• A local woman was cited for prostitution Thursday afternoon after allegedly propositioning an undercover HSPD detective.

Tanisha Yvette Hankins, 32, aka “Sweet T,” who lists an address of 219 Civic St., is reportedly known to HSPD street crimes detectives for prostitution activities and was seen walking in the area of Malvern Avenue and Garden Street shortly before 1 p. m.

A street crimes detective in an unmarked police unit pulled over near her and she got in. While they were driving up the street, she allegedly told the detective she wanted to make some money and agreed to have sex with him for $ 30 to $ 40.

At that point, she was cited for prostitution, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $ 500 fine, and released. She is set to appear June 19 in district court.