Wallingford police: Man with warrant found with stolen handgun, narcotics during vehicle stop

A man with an active arrest warrant was taken into custody on Friday after police reportedly found a stolen handgun and narcotics during a routine motor vehicle stop in Wallingford.

The Wallingford Police Department‘s Patrol Division pulled over a black Buick SUV with expired Connecticut plates around 1:41 a.m. after officers said they saw the vehicle driving northbound in the area of North Colony Road and Yale Avenue with no headlights.

The driver initially failed to identify himself and told officers he left his license at home, according to police. After further investigation, officers were able to identify him as 30-year-old Deyshon Eric Pina, who had an active warrant out of Bridgeport, police said.

Pina was asked to step out of the vehicle. Officers reportedly saw something in his right and left pockets, which they said was 18 green capsules containing cocaine and two black Ziploc-style bags with 4 grams of marijuana, according to police.

In searching his vehicle, officers reportedly found a stolen black 9mm pistol along with a seven-round magazine, three 9mm hollow point rounds, one shell casing and 38 solid point rounds, police said.

Pina was arrested and charged with illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, violation of pistol permit requirement, stealing a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm/ammunition/defense weapon, criminal possession of a pistol, interfering with an officer, possession with intent to sell narcotics, possession of a controlled substance, failure to renew registration, operating a motor vehicle without a license and failure to have headlamps illuminated.

Pina, who appeared in court on Friday, was being held in lieu of a $25,000 bond and was charged for the warrant out of Bridgeport and held on a $1,000 bond.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call 203-294-2800 or go to police.wallingfordct.gov.