CLEVELAND, TX – A routine traffic stop in the early hours of Tuesday, March 25, led to the arrest of a Houston woman on multiple drug and weapons charges, according to the Cleveland Police Department.
At approximately 5:18 a.m., Cpl. C. Ortega stopped a silver 2006 Buick Lacrosse on North U.S. Highway 59 after observing it fail to maintain a single lane and display expired registration. The driver, identified as Meagan Nicole Malone, 49, of Houston, allegedly could not provide a driver’s license or proof of insurance. Ortega detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana from the vehicle, prompting a probable cause search.
During the search, officers reportedly found a silver and pink 9mm handgun in the driver’s side door, multiple hand-rolled cigarettes believed to contain marijuana, and a vape device suspected to contain THC wax.
Malone was arrested and booked at the Cleveland Police Department before being transported to the Liberty County Jail. She faces charges including Possession of a Controlled Substance (second-degree felony, $30,000 bond), Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon (Class A misdemeanor, $5,000 bond), and Possession of Marijuana (Class B misdemeanor, $1,500 bond). Bonds were set by Liberty County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Stephen Hebert.