A man from Louisiana was arrested with a stolen gun after a traffic stop in Wildwood.
James Mermell Lathers II, 29, of Baton Rouge, La., was a passenger in a red 2011 Chrysler 200 which had been traveling shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 301 near its intersection with State Road 44, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. The vehicle was pulled over for not having a taglight.
The driver and Lathers both appeared to be “extremely nervous.” A K-9 unit was summoned to the scene and the dog alerted on the vehicle, indicating the presence of drugs. The driver handed the officer two marijuana “blunts.”
Lathers also admitted he had a gun in his backpack. The officer searched the backpack and found the 9mm Sig Sauer model P320. A check of the serial number revealed that the gun had been reported as stolen in Baton Rouge, La. The officer also found that Lathers was wanted on Louisiana warrant charging him failure to appear.
Lathers was arrested on a felony charge of dealing in stolen property. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center where a hold was put on him by the state of Louisiana.
