Lauren A. Anderson, 31, of the 200 block of Trailview Lane in Garland, was arrested on a warrant for illegal possession of stolen things. Her bond was set at $15,000.
Police Chief Steve Cropper says she was stopped on a traffic stop by Officer First Class Kenneth James, and officers questioned her.
“She had a Texas driver’s license,” he said. “She didn’t have it on her, but it was valid. She had a passenger in the car, and apparently officers became suspicious, and identified the driver and the passenger and asked both of them to step out of the vehicle.”
Cropper says officers were given permission to search the vehicle.
“They were given permission, and inside the driver’s purse, there was a loaded .380 Ruger pistol. Officers ran a check on the gun but there was no hit on it at that point.”
Officer James ran another check on the .380 Ruger pistol after the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office called in reference to the firearm and discovered it was stolen, Cropper says.
“It had been stolen, but it had not yet been entered into the system at the time of the traffic stop,” the chief said. “The sheriff’s office had entered it after the traffic stop, so we obtained a warrant for the stolen firearm.”
By this point, Anderson had made her way to Dallas County, Texas. Cropper says she’d been arrested after reportedly trying to sell stolen items on the internet. Authorities in Dallas County were notified of the warrant and she was placed under arrest.
Capts. Dan Weaver and Marvin Garrett traveled to Texas and brought her back to Minden to face charges.
She was booked and taken to the women’s jail.