Speeding I-90 driver arrested with pistol
A motorist stopped for driving 83 mph in a 70 mph zone Monday was arrested on felony charges after Spokane County sheriff's deputies found marijuana and a loaded pistol in the vehicle.
Juan C. Cervantes, 22, of Moses Lake, was stopped on Interstate 90 about 2 p.m. after deputies Jeffrey Thurman and Chuck Sciortino noted he was speeding and driving a Chevrolet Tahoe registered to a woman with a suspended license and warrant for city theft, according to a news release by Sgt. Dave Reagan.
The owner, Tina M. Zarate, 28, of Moses Lake, was in the passenger's seat. Deputies say they smelled a strong odor of marijuana" and were told by Cervantes that his license was suspended and thee was a small amount of marijuana in the Tahoe, Reagan said.
Zarate and Cervantes gave deputies permission to search the vehicle, where they found a glass pipe with partially burnt marijuana and a loaded Rossi .38 caliber pistol wrapped in a bandanna. The gun's serial number had been filed off, Reagan said.
Cervantes has four previous felony convictions, which prohibit him from possessing weapons. He was booked into jail on charges of altering/obliterating identification marks on a firearm, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana and third-degree driving while license suspended.
Zarate’s warrant was non-extraditable, so Sciortino cited and released her for possession of marijuana.