Carson City deputies arrest pair following low-speed pursuit for possession of a stun gun

A 47-year-old Carson City man and a 48-year-old Carson City woman were arrested in the area of Carson and S. Winnie Friday evening on multiple charges including felony possession of a stun gun by prohibited persons.

Jerrold Howerton and Peggy Gomez were arrested after deputies observed a vehicle nearly hit a pedestrian family crossing a sidewalk.

According to the report, deputies were traveling northbound on North Carson Street just south of Winnie Lane where they observed a grey pickup truck traveling in front f them in the number two lane.

A woman with small children was on the east side of the street on the sidewalk trying to cross the crosswalk. The grey truck abruptly turned on its blinker and changed from the number two lane into the number one lane within a matter of five feet, blowing through the crosswalk and causing the pedestrians to step back toward the sidewalk and the adult threw up her hands in anger.

Based on the improper and unsafe lane change and failure to yield to a pedestrian, deputies immediately activated their emergency lights. They also immediately active their siren due to the dangerous nature of the truck’s driving pattern and heavy traffic near the crosswalk.

The truck and deputies turned onto Winnie Lane, but instead of immediately pulling over, the truck continued traveling west. The truck continued to ignore the deputies’ lights and sirens and continued on Winnie Lane before making a right turn onto Michael Drive traveling northbound and then another turn onto Jeanell Drive.

During the entire pursuit the truck traveled approximately 25-30 mph and the traffic was light.

Deputies conducted a high risk traffic stop after the vehicle parked in a parking stall at an apartment complex. Deputies ordered the driver and passenger to put their hands outside the vehicle, which they did.

Deputies ordered the driver, later identified as Howerton, to exit the vehicle. He yelled that he had a soda in his lap and they ordered him to step out anyways.

Howerton stepped “awkwardly” out of the vehicle and was placed in handcuffs, followed by Gomez.

K-9 Deputy Ivo was dispatched to the scene, and he conducted a free air exterior sniff of the vehicle, which resulted in Ivo positively alerting to the presence of drug odor.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a taser in the middle seat of the truck. There were several beer cans inside the truck, one of which was open and had recently been consumed.

A criminal history was run on both Gomez and Howerton, which returned with prior convicted felonies for both. Gomez was also on parole and probation and she was taken into custody for a parole and probation hold as well as a prohibited person with a stun gun.

Deputies spoke with Howerton, and noted he had a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath. Deputies asked if the beer came from him, and he said yes. He told deputies he “cracked the beer at the end of the stop because he knew he was going away.”

He told deputies he also knew he had a warrant, and that he lied when he said he had a soda on his lap when instead it was a beer. He said he had consumed one and a half tall beer cans, and that he is an alcoholic.

A wants and warrants returned from dispatch reporting Howerton had a failure to comply warrant out of Carson City Justice Court issued July 15 after failing to report for monthly probation testing.

Gomez was booked for felony prohibited person with a stun gun and felony parole and probation hold. No bail for parole and probation hold.

Howerton was booked on the following charges: Failure to comply warrant, driving without valid insurance, driving with an open container, failure to yield, prohibited person with a stun gun, failure to yield to pedestrian, DUI first, using an unsafe lane change. Bail: $25,585; $3000 cash only

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.