Two local men arrested on drugs, weapons charges after traffic stop
A local man and a local felon were arrested on multiple felony charges involving drugs and illegal weapons after a traffic stop late Saturday.
John Vincent Martinez,
38, a felon on parole who lists an Ardmore Street address, was taken into custo- dy outside his residence shortly after 10 p.m. and charged with felony counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons, possession of a defaced firearm, criminal use of a prohibited weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years, and misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, possession of an instrument of crime and criminal use of a prohibited weapon.
Ronald Dale Smith, 31, who lists a Mount Carmel Road address, was charged with felony counts of furnishing a deadly weapon to a felon, punishable by up to 20 years, possession of a defaced firearm and criminal use of a prohibited weapon, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of possession of an instrument of crime.
Martinez was being held on zero bond while Smith was being held on a $11,000 bond and both were set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Hot Springs police Officer
1st Class Taylor Gates saw a silver GMC Yukon eastbound on Albert Pike Road that cut through the private parking lot at 1000 Albert Pike to get to Cooper Street, avoiding the traffic signal at Albert Pike and Cooper.
He activated his lights to make a traffic stop and the vehicle continued briefly to Ardmore Street where it stopped in the driveway at 110 Ardmore, the listed residence of the driver, identified as Martinez. After determining Martinez was on parole from a 2018 conviction for delivery of meth with a search waiver on file, Gates had he and his passenger, identified as Smith, get out so he could search the vehicle.
When asked if he had property in the vehicle, Smith said a Batman backpack was his so officers did not search it at that time, but searched the rest of the vehicle.
In the back seat, they found a backpack that contained a set of metal knuckles, a glass pipe with residue, two used syringes, a metal spoon with residue, digital scales and a bag of marijuana, 12.5 grams. At that point, Smith and Martinez were both taken into custody. Officers then searched Smith’s bag, which allegedly contained a used syringe and three unused syringes. Under the passenger seat, they found a loaded 20-gauge shotgun with the barrel and stock sawed-off and the entire gun painted black with zip ties on the handguard that contained three extra shotgun shells. No serial number could be found and it was determined the length of the barrel was 15 inches, making it illegal.
When questioned, Smith said the shotgun belonged to him, but was unable to describe it when asked about some of its unique features. He claimed he had the gun for “a couple of days’ but didn’t know where he got it.
When Martinez was questioned, he said the vehicle belonged to his son and he was unaware of any items found in it, although he reportedly admitted the marijuana belonged to him.