According to Collinsville Police Chief Gary Bowen on Monday at approximately 11:15 pm Officer Jeremy Bell observed a green Saturn in the parking lot of the Mapco. The vehicle was occupied by a white female, white male and two children.

The male occupant got out of the car and was constantly walking around the vehicle watching the location of Officer Bell. After several minutes the subject got into the passenger side of the car and the vehicle exited the parking lot.

Officer Bell pulled out behind the Saturn and the female driver pulled into the turn lane to turn onto I-59 North, after failing to use a turn signal Officer Bell initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, Bell approached the car and asked the driver for her license – as the driver was retrieving her Id from the truck of the car, Officer Bell then asked the passenger for his license and was told that they was somewhere inside the vehicle.

At that point, the passenger became nervous and began looking inside the glove box at which point Officer Bell approached the passenger side of the vehicle and asked the passenger to open the door.

When the passenger opened the door, he observed a marijuana cigarette in plain view at which he was immediately taken into custody. After asking if there was anything else in the vehicle – the subject told Bell that he had some Xanax pills inside his pocket and that there was also a black zipper case that contained meth under the passenger seat.

After retrieving the items, the female driver stated that she couldn’t locate her license and then stated to Officer Bell that there was a pistol inside the glove box of the vehicle.

The passenger then stated to Officer Bell that inside the trunk in his clothes was a brown box that contained a marijuana grinder and also a marijuana pipe. When Officer Bell removed the box from the trunk, he also located some digital scales and another pipe with a white powder residue inside along with some plastic baggies.

The passenger was identified as Jake Ryan Stidger of Cleveland, TN and the driver was as Connie Walden Stidger. Mr. Stidger stated to Officer Jeremy Bell that the gun along with everything else belonged to him.  Mr. Stidger was then transported to the DeKalb County Detention Center.