Crime & Safety
Swerving Driver With Martial Arts Weapon In Vehicle Facing Charges In Vernon
A traffic stop in Vernon led to drunken driving and felony weapons charges, an arrest report shows.
VERNON, CT — A drunken driving stop in Vernon last weekend involved a fleeing suspect and a confiscated martial arts weapon that led to a felony charge against him, police said.
According to an arrest report, at 6:36 p.m. on Dec. 6, Vernon police received a call about na erratic driver heading west along the always-busy convergence of Hysed Avenue and Hartford Turnpike. When officers arrived there, they, too, witnessed the vehicle swerve several times, according to an arrest report.
The vehicle was stopped and the driver, identified as 48-year-old Efrain Robles, of Vernon, failed field sobriety tests and then tried to fight with officers in an attempt to flee the scene, according to an arrest report.
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Police said a subsequent search of the car uncovered a pair of nunchucks inside, which, per state law, leads to a felony charge for possessing an illegal weapon in a motor vehicle. State statute 29-38 says that "martial arts weapons" count toward a violation.
Robles also had a suspended license, according to an arrest report.
Find out what's happening in Vernonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In addition to those charges, he was also charged with driving under the influence, failure to maintain the proper lane and interfering with police.
He is due in court on Dec. 16, records show.
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