Proactive Car Stops Net Illegal Guns and Warrants In Bensalem
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Carrying a gun is a privilege that people forfeit when they comitt felonies. Once that right is lost it is another crime to have a gun and or ammunition. That does not stop- people from carrying guns that should not. Police in Bensalem found that out with three car stops in March and April of this year.
On March 17 police stopped a vehicle for a suspended registration. Further investigation found a bullet hole in the windshield and a quantity of raw marijuana, a sandwich baggie with numerous vials of crack cocaine that were packaged for sale, and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun. The driver and passenger were staying in a motel room.
The vehicle’s driver was Darlene Chestnut, 32, from Windsor Avenue, Philadelphia, and the front seat passenger was Karrie Amaro, 28, from W. Westmoreland Street.
Police checked the motel room and found four unsupervised children were discovered in the room, as well as prescription pills, THC gummies, a digital scale, and methamphetamine. The four children were turned over to a family member. Karrie Amarro was charged with Carrying Firearms without a License and narcotics violations, and Darlene Chestnut was charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child and narcotics violations.
On April 4,2024 a vehicle made an illegal U-Turn and was stopped. The vehicle had two bullet holes on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Jermaine Beattie , the driver had a suspended driver’s license, did not possess a permit to carry, and was a felon not to possess a firearm. He was taken into custody and charged with Persons Not to Possess a Firearm and narcotics and traffic violations.
On April 13,2024 a vehicle with a faulty brake light and a broken mirror was stopped. The driver, identified as Brittany Dougherty, 33, from Fanshawe Street, Philadelphia, had an active retail theft warrant out of Bensalem for theft at the Kohl’s Department store on March 5, 2024. She also had a burglary warrant out of Camden County, NJ, and a Robbery warrant out of Evesham Township, NJ. The vehicle’s passenger, Omar Pedro, 30, from Rutland Street, Philadelphia, also had a warrant for the same retail theft at Kohl’s.and and a warrant out of Philadelphia. A search incident to arrest found that Omar Pedro had a handgun in his waistband and Brittany Dougherty had narcotics in her possession. Omar Pedro was charged with Persons not to Possess a Firearm, and Brittany Dougherty was charged with narcotics violations.