A gray Dodge Ram pickup weaving across Interstate 65 and nearly clipping a semitrailer landed an Indianapolis man in the Bartholomew County Jail Monday night, after deputies say a search of his truck turned up a handgun reported stolen out of Indianapolis. Melvin Earls, 58, now faces preliminary charges tied to the stop, including a felony gun charge, following what started as a routine reckless-driving call near the Taylorsville rest area.
According to The Republic, deputies were dispatched at approximately 7:29 p.m. Monday to the 74-mile marker of I-65 after a caller reported the pickup repeatedly changing speeds and driving erratically. Deputies were sent toward the Taylorsville rest area and found the truck just south of Exit 64, according to the seed reporting from WRTV.
Deputies located the vehicle near the 62.5-mile marker and watched it weave in and out of its lane before initiating a traffic stop near the state road 58 exit around the 61-mile marker, per the same account from The Republic.
License, Odor Of Marijuana Raised Red Flags
Once stopped, Earls reportedly told deputies his driver's license had previously been suspended. Deputies also detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, prompting a search of the truck. A records check during the stop showed Earls had a felony conviction, according to WRTV's reporting.
During that search, deputies located a handgun inside a storage compartment. The weapon was found to have been reported stolen out of Indianapolis, the station's report notes. Deputies subsequently took Earls to Columbus Regional Hospital for a blood draw before booking him into the Bartholomew County Jail, per WRTV.
Multiple Preliminary Charges Filed
Earls was arrested on preliminary charges of operating while intoxicated with a prior conviction, driving while suspended with a prior conviction, unlawful possession of a firearm, and theft of a firearm, according to the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office account relayed by The Republic. He remains in custody on a 48-hour hold pending the filing of formal charges.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the charges against Earls are preliminary. As with any arrest, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
