A routine traffic stop on Old NC 109 near Fred Miller Road in Lexington turned up cocaine, an open alcoholic container and three young children, two of them unrestrained, according to investigators. The driver, a 22-year-old Chapel Hill man, was arrested and now faces a lengthy list of charges including child abuse, drug possession and driving without a valid license.
According to WXLV, detectives with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Traffic & Criminal Enforcement, or T.R.A.C.E., Team stopped a Toyota sedan on Oct. 24, 2026, for a traffic violation. The driver was identified as Felix Jaimes Garcia, and investigators said he was transporting three children ages 1, 4 and 5. Two of those children were unrestrained, the station reported.
Garcia did not have a valid driver’s license, per the same report, and detectives found an open alcoholic container in the vehicle, leading them to suspect he was impaired. Detectives also said Garcia was found in possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
A Long List Of Charges Following The Stop
Garcia was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance, two counts of child abuse, two counts of not properly restraining a child under 16, and no operator’s license, the station’s report states. He was also cited for exceeding the posted speed limit, failure to maintain lane and a window tint violation.
Under North Carolina law, a child younger than 5 and weighing less than 40 pounds must be properly secured in the rear seat of a vehicle equipped with an active passenger-side front air bag and a rear seat, unless the child is in a restraint designed for use with air bags, according to North Carolina General Statute 20-137.1. The exact seating positions of the two unrestrained children in this case, and their relationship to Garcia, have not been disclosed.
Immigration Detainer And Next Court Date
Investigators said an immigration detainer was placed on Garcia due to his citizenship status, the outlet reported. He was placed in the Davidson County Jail under a $3,500 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Davidson County Court sometime this month.
Whether Garcia has since posted that bond, entered a plea, or had any court appearance has not been reported. Anyone wanting to track the case as it moves through the system can search North Carolina criminal case records through the North Carolina Judicial Branch’s Portal system, though the agency notes that background checks should go through a county clerk’s office instead.
