A Ruston man was arrested early Saturday after a Lincoln Parish sheriff’s deputy saw him driving more than 100 mph on Interstate 20 and later found a stolen pistol in his vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit.
James R. Jones, 30, was arrested at 3:14 a.m. Sept. 19 on Louisiana Highway 33 at I-20.
The deputy was traveling north on Tech Drive when a tan GMC Yukon crossed Tech Drive from the South Service Road onto the eastbound I-20 on-ramp. The deputy pulled in behind the Yukon and watched the driver make several lane changes, cross the fog line on the right side of the road and accelerate to more than 100 mph. The driver then began rapidly steering left and right, causing the SUV to rock as if he were about to lose control, and nearly struck a guardrail.
The deputy turned on the patrol unit’s emergency lights. The driver exited onto Louisiana Highway 33 and headed north, then stopped at the Circle K just north of the interstate after the deputy activated the siren.
Jones, who identified himself through LA Wallet, had a moderate odor of alcohol and slurred speech, and the app showed his driver’s license was suspended. Inside the driver’s door was a prescription pill bottle, and an open container of whiskey sat between the driver’s seat and the center console. Jones had an unsteady gait and had trouble standing without propping himself on something.
After being read his Miranda rights, Jones said he had been drinking. He said he had not been prescribed any medication.
A probable cause search turned up a Hi-Point .45-caliber pistol in the center console. A check of the serial number showed the gun had been stolen out of Arkansas. The pill bottle held a prescription-only anxiety medication that Jones said was prescribed to a family member who was not present.
Jones refused field sobriety tests. A name check showed he is on probation for domestic abuse battery and had a previous DWI arrest in 2014.
At the Lincoln Parish Detention Center, Jones gave a breath sample of 0.170 percent. He told deputies he had been drinking whiskey and had just left a bar. Asked about the pistol, Jones said he bought it from a friend for $50 and that he was not allowed to possess firearms because of the domestic abuse battery arrest.
Jones was booked on charges of reckless operation of a vehicle, first-offense DWI, illegal carrying of weapons, illegal possession of stolen firearms, open container and driving with a suspended license. Bond was set at $1,500 on the DWI count, and he was released on his own recognizance on the reckless operation, open container and suspended license counts.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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