By Bonnie Culverhouse
Experience and education aided a Minden Police officer in the arrest of a local woman who may have stolen a vehicle.
Lt. Chris Hammontree arrested Kia Monique Eason, 25, of the 100 block of Hillside Lane, Minden, and charged her with fictitious registration and illegal possession of stolen things over $25,000.
Police Chief Jared McIver said Hammontree was patrolling early Sunday morning when he observed a 2021 Dodge Charger Superbee traveling on East Street.
“Due to his knowledge and experience, Lt. Hammontree knew that model was popular as being stolen and having fake Texas temporary tags,” McIver said. “Hammontree also attended a class on fake temporary tags and could tell the one on the vehicle was fictitious.”
Hammontree reportedly initiated a stop of the vehicle and on closer inspection, noted clear indicators of a fictitious tag.
“When the officer contacted Eason, she claimed her stepfather gave her the vehicle to drive,” said the chief. “She could not provide a vehicle registration and upon further inspection of the vehicle, Hammontree found the vehicle identification number plate on the dash was a sticker, and the VIN sticker on the door had been faked.”
Lt. Spencer Tippen reportedly located the VIN on the body of the vehicle under the hood. The chief said it was not the same as the others.
“It came back to a stolen vehicle out of Houston,” McIver said. “Eason eventually gave her stepfather’s name and number to officers, however, the number was disconnected. Eason insisted she drove the vehicle every day, and it had just been ‘given’ to her.”
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named 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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