Loaded Gun Found On Woman Driving With Suspended License On Route 17

PARAMUS, NJ — A North Carolina woman was arrested Tuesday for possession of a loaded firewarm after a police officer stopped her on Route 17, police said.

Shenita J. King, 38, of Rocky Mount, N.C., was charged with weapons and motor vehicle offenses, Paramus police said.

Around 2:20 a.m. Tuesday, Officer Cesar Hurtado conducted a motor vehicle stop of a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe near the Garden State Parkway for a traffic violation, police said.

The vehicle's registration belonged to someone whose driving privileges had been revoked, police said.

King, who was driving, told police that the Tahoe wasn't her car, police said. But her license was suspended, too.

Backup officer Michael Mordaga found black purse in the back seat of the vehicle. Inside the purse was a gray Jimenez Arms "JA Nine" 9mm handgun containing a fully loaded magazine with 12 full metal jacket bullets, police said.

She was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a large capacity magazine, and motor vehicle offenses, including a rear stoplight violation.

She was processed through the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) and taken to the Bergen County Jail to await a future court date, police said.