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Stolen gun leads to driver’s arrest

2 min read

A Washington man was arrested Wednesday night by city police after he allegedly was found with a handgun reported stolen earlier this year.

Police stopped a car driven by Thomas A. Stewart, 20, of 790 W. Chestnut St., as part of an investigation into an incident earlier Wednesday night involving weapons in the city’s West End. Stewart was taken into custody just before 9 p.m. at Fayette Street and McCarrell Avenue.

Police were called about 7:15 p.m. to the 800 block of West Chestnut Street after a caller told a 911 dispatcher that several people had threatened him with a gun. The caller reportedly got into an argument with the occupants of a gold Dodge Intrepid.

The argument escalated to the point where the four men got out of the car and produced guns. One of the men pulled a gun from his backpack. The alleged victim told police he thought he heard the others loading guns.

The four got back into the car and fled after spotting a city police cruiser in the area.

Officer Daniel Grossman was on patrol about 90 minutes later when he saw a gold Dodge Intrepid parked in the lot of a convenience store at 701 W. Chestnut. The driver, later identified as Stewart, turned onto McCarrell. Several passengers were in the car.

As the car passed, Grossman activated the overhead lights on his cruiser, and the car continued north on McCarrell before turning on to Fayette. Stewart stopped the car, opened the door and started to get out before he was ordered back inside the vehicle. Police said they spotted flakes of marijuana on the back seat, and a .380-caliber Ruger pistol that had been reported stolen to Peters Township police by a McMurray man in April was found in the trunk.

The passengers in the car were released, Chief Chris Luppino said.

Stewart was arraigned before District Judge Larry Hopkins on charges of receiving stolen property, possession of marijuana and not having his vehicle inspected. He was placed in Washington County jail on $25,000 bond. Stewart is set for a preliminary hearing Sept. 9 before District Judge Robert Redlinger.

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