THOMASVILLE — Police equipment alerted an officer to a vehicle that was not only in violation of traffic laws, but contained illegal drugs and weapons, a Thomasville Police Department incident report states.

A TPD officer was monitoring traffic at Remington Avenue and Kings Drive midafternoon Sunday when the license plate recognition (LPR) system on the officer’s car alerted on a 2004 Acura TSX traveling east on Remington and which turned into Remington Park.

The LPR alert gave the officer probable cause to stop the car, said Maj. Wade Glover, TPD public information officer.

The alert showed the driver, Mark Anthony Young, 22, 1231 Tom St., was driving while his license was suspended/revoked and that the vehicle’s registration was suspended.

The officer detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car, but Young and his passenger, Malik Ponder, 21, 114 Dove Hill Circle, said they had not smoked the contraband, according to the report. 

A search of the car found marijuana in the driver’s side door and a bag containing marijuana and a digital scale in a jacket. Also found in the jacket was an Edison Galati .38 special loaded with hollow-point rounds, the report stated.

Checking the jacket further, officers found 10 small plastic bags containing a white powdery substance.

Ponder was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, possession of a distribute-related object and misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Young was charged with open container violation, driving while license suspended/revoked and suspended registration. 

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820