Traffic Stop Becomes Ruinous For Woman In Stafford: Police

STAFFORD, VA—A bit of attempted deception before a simple traffic stop turned into a lot of trouble Tuesday afternoon for a Stafford woman, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office.

Kayla Gudiness, 24, wound up being charged with possession of marijuana, driving suspended, obstruction of justice, providing false identification to law enforcement, identity theft, fictitious registration, expired registration and illegal window tint—as well as warrants for probation violation in Prince William County and Stafford County.

Around 3:40 p.m., a deputy pulled over a vehicle on White Oak Road for illegal window tint. It was being driven by someone with short hair and a baseball cap, with a person with long hair in the passenger seat. But when he approached the vehicle, which had "the odor of marijuana wafting from the vehicle," he noticed they had switched seats.

The person who switched over to the passenger seat identified herself at Pavy Yerena. She admitted to switching seats, saying she did so because she believed her driver's license was suspended. She also admitted to having pot in her jacket pocket.

When the officer checked out the driver's license she gave him, he noticed it didn't look like her. Sure enough, she admitted "she had provided false identification," and that her actual name was Kayla Gudiness. Her real license came back listed as suspended.

The officer also saw that the vehicle's registration was expired but nonetheless had 2019 stickers. Finally, he confirmed the window tint was above the legal limit. Gudiness was taken to jail and held without bond.

Photo: Stafford County Sheriff's Office