NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A traffic stop for an expired tag led to the arrest of three people on Tuesday after police discovered a weapon and a large amount of drugs in their vehicle.
According to an arrest report, the incident occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 26, when officers patrolling Briley Parkway near Murfreesboro Pike saw a gray H3 Hummer with what appeared to be expired tags and window tint darker than the legal limit. When the officers stopped the vehicle and asked the occupants to roll down the window, a large cloud of marijuana smoke reportedly came out.
The driver, 20-year-old Erik Martinez-Valdez, and the front-seat passenger, 22-year-old Lisa Nguyen, told police they each had a gram of marijuana in the car. However, the backseat passenger, 20-year-old Pedro Leon-Ramires, did not respond to the question about marijuana and claimed he didn’t have an ID.
While searching the vehicle, officers noticed a pistol grip near Nguyen’s knee. They then detained all three individuals. During the search, officers found $520 in cash on Martinez-Valdez and $1,490 in cash on Leon-Ramires.
The police report states they also discovered:
- 440 grams of marijuana in 26 individual bags
- 10 grams of THC vape liquid
- $132 in cash
- 20 grams of white powder that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl
- A Draco pistol with 30 rounds of ammunition
Further investigation revealed that Martinez-Valdez did not have a Tennessee driver’s license. He faces several drug charges and driving without a license and is being held in Metro Jail on a $125,000 bond. Nguyen was charged with drug offenses and firearm possession and is being held on a $41,000 bond. Leon-Ramires is facing drug charges and is held on a $66,500 bond.
No further details were released.