Handgun, Marijuana Found After Traffic Stop

EVANSTON, IL — A Des Plaines teen was arrested and petitioned to juvenile court with two felonies after police allegedly found a loaded handgun in his pants Monday. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of cannabis after a traffic stop turned up the gun and marijuana, police said. The accused 16-year-old, along with a 21-year-old man, an 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl, was a passenger in a car driven by an 18-year-old Des Plaines resident.

Detectives from the tactical unit witnessed a vehicle travelling eastbound in the wrong lane of traffic in the 1900 block of Emerson Avenue, according to Evanston Police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan. They pulled over the car in the 1300 block of Emerson and noticed the front seat passenger, identified as the 16-year-old arrestee, reach down under his seat.

Additionally, police smelled fresh marijuana inside the vehicle, Dugan said. Police said they asked the 16-year-old about the smell of weed, and in response, he offered an officer a "small clear plastic baggie containing cannabis."

When the Des Plaines teen stepped out of the vehicle, a detective found a loaded Colt .380 caliber handgun from inside his pant leg, according to Dugan. The handgun had a partially obliterated serial number. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Evanston — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

The 16-year-old was taken to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and petitioned to court with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one count of defacing the serial number of a firearm, in additional to a marijuana possession misdemeanor.

The 18-year-old driver of the vehicle was issued two traffic citations. The three rear seat occupants were all released without charges, police said.

_{Top photo: A Colt handgun Evanston police said they recovered from the pants of a 16-year-old Des Plaines boy}