Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Where there's smoke: Teens face gun charges after cops smell pot coming from car

Four metro-east teens were charged Thursday with felony unlawful use of weapons after Fairview Heights police found them parked in an alley behind a business after hours.

Police discovered the suspicious vehicle at about 7:30 p.m. parked behind the Pink Poodle Pet Salon at 10251 Lincoln Trail, Assistant Chief Nick Gailius stated in a Friday news release.

"There had been a break-in to a residence in that area recently," Gailius stated. "As officers approached the car and contacted the occupants, smoke and the smell of burning marijuana was coming from the car."

Police searched the vehicle and found two pistols, one of which had been stolen from Missouri. No cannabis or other drugs were found.

Charged with two counts each of felony unlawful use of weapons were Daryl E. Rice, Jr., 17, of 1269 Abbington Court in Shiloh; Demarlo D. Taylor, 17, of 113 McKnight Road in Fairview Heights; Shawn A. Campbell, 17, of 108 Mark Drive in Fairview Heights; and David D. Bacon, 18, of 9 Potomac Drive in Fairview Heights. Each is being held with bail set at $20,000.

In an unrelated incident, police arrested Bacon for disorderly conduct Oct. 6, and he was charged with a misdemeanor and released.

Bacon and a juvenile male driver were stopped at North Illinois Street and Chateau Drive when Bacon allegedly shouted and fired an Airsoft pellet gun at a driver in the car next to him.

The car Bacon was in sped away against the red light at the intersection and hit another car. They continued to flee and were found later on a side street a few blocks away. Police arrested them and found the pellet gun.

The juvenile driver was charged with disobeying a red light and leaving the scene of a traffic accident, and released to a parent.

No one was injured in the incident.