A Leesburg pair was arrested when the unlicensed driver went through a red light, and the passenger had a firearm as a convicted felon.
An officer observed a dark blue Jeep heading northbound toward the interchange of U.S. Highway 27/441 around 9:15 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The occupants, later identified as 34-year-old Jabron Jackson and 37-year-old Sierra Latoya Baker, approached the red light and briefly stopped before turning left to make a U-turn toward Hill Street.
Upon seeing this, the officer conducted a traffic stop. The vehicle continued traveling at about 10 miles per hour even after the officer turned on his emergency lights and sirens. It went through the interchange, onto Hill Street and stopped just short of Penn Street in an apartment complex lot, the report said.
The officer approached the vehicle’s occupants and explained the reason for the stop. They showed suspicious behavior by trying to make phone calls instead of providing the documents requested. He had to ask again for the vehicle’s documents and Jackson’s license, the report said.
While Baker was looking for the vehicle registration, she briefly opened the front glove box. The officer noticed a black handgun resting inside, and Baker quickly slammed it back shut. The officer did not say anything initially to prevent any reactions from the occupants, the report said.
The officer discretely informed his colleagues, who were on scene, over the radio and set up a plan to have each of them exit without raising concerns. Both occupants were later safely removed from the vehicle for officer safety during the rest of the stop. Jackson was immediately placed under arrest, as dispatch advised that he had an active writ of bodily attachment for child support, the report said.
A check of Jackson’s license revealed it was not valid, and he had 11 current suspensions. He had a prior conviction for habitual offender from Nov. 2014 and another conviction for flee/elude, the report said.
The officer then tasked a colleague and a trainee with starting the traffic citation for the driving offense. While they did so, he deployed his K-9 partner for a free-air sniff around the outside of the vehicle. The K-9 ultimately alerted to the front passenger door, the report said.
Meanwhile, the officers learned from dispatch that Jackson and Baker had prior felony convictions. The firearm in the vehicle was retrieved and identified as a black Walter PPS 9mm. It was loaded with eight rounds of 9mm ammunition, the report said.
After being read her rights, Baker advised that the vehicle was a rental assigned to her. She initially stated she did not see the firearm, but later said she closed the center console quickly due to seeing it. She stated several times it was not hers yet could not give any facts on who it belonged to or even proof it did not belong to her, the report said.
Jackson was charged with driving while license suspended (habitual offender) and transported to Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $3,684 bond.
Baker was arrested on charges of weapon (possess firearm by convicted felon) and weapon (possess ammo by convicted felon). She was taken to jail and released after posting $20,000 bond.