Merced man arrested with meth, gun, police say

A routine traffic stop ended over the weekend in Merced with one man behind bars facing possible weapons and drug charges after officers seized nearly a dozen grams of methamphetamine and a loaded gun, the Police Department reported.

James W. Williams, 42, was arrested after investigators found about 10.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a digital scale, along with a loaded .38-caliber revolver and ammunition in a backpack in the trunk of a vehicle in which he was riding, Merced police said in a news release.

Williams was inside a black Honda Accord that was stopped by police around 10:50 p.m. Friday in the 500 block of West 26th Street. Sgt. Brian Rodriguez made the stop to investigate the vehicle’s modified exhaust, officers said.

Another person in the vehicle, whose name was not released, was on probation, allowing police to search the vehicle. The backpack containing the narcotics and loaded firearm was found in the trunk of the vehicle, police said.

Williams, a Merced resident, was booked at the Merced County jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance while carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a concealed firearm not registered to him and carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle. He remained in custody Saturday on $150,000 bail, according to booking records.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Merced Police Department at 209-385-4710 or the Tipster Line at 209-385-4725.

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 7:25 AM with the headline "Merced man arrested with meth, gun, police say."