By MaryJane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News, with information from Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip.
Of the five arrests Van Alstyne Police made before the first half of December, they learned that four of the drivers had outstanding warrants for their arrests. All five traffic stops were made on U.S. Highway 75, according to information provided by Police Lt. Steven Hayslip.
Also, the Grayson County Grand Jury indicted a Van Alstyne man on a theft charge brought about in September when this suspect was jailed for stealing a bicycle.
November 29 — About 8:50 pm, police made a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 74 at Farmington Road, made because the officer saw defective equipment (headlamps) on the vehicle. Following protocol, the officer(s) learned about a warrant in place, for the suspect’s arrest issued by Clay County and charging him with possession of marijuana between 50-2,000 pounds. Police took the suspect, a Dallas man, to Grayson County Jail on the warrant. The suspect remained in Grayson County Jail until December 3, when he was transferred to Clay County.
December 12 – Van Alstyne Police made a traffic stop at 12:45 pm on US 75 at Hodgins Road. They had observed the vehicle going 93 mph in a 75-mph zone. When talking with the driver, they smelled the strong odor of marijuana, Hayslip said. Before conducting a probable cause search, they discovered that he had an active warrant for his arrest out of another law enforcement agency.
While conducting the probable cause search, officer(s) located a usable amount of marijuana under two ounces, Officers also located Glock handgun outfitted with a switch. “A Glock switch (sometimes called a button or a giggle switch) is a small device that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a Glock handgun, changing the semi-automatic pistol into a selective fire machine pistol capable of fully automatic fire,” Hayslip explained.
December 12 — They placed the suspect, a Tulsa, OK, man, under arrest on charges of: Possession of Marijuana under two ounces; Unlawful Carrying a Weapon; Prohibited Weapon; and Warrant Service.
Jail records show that this suspect remains incarcerated in the Grayson County Jail, and that he has signed a waiver, which will allow the agency which issued the warrant to pick him up and transport him back to that area. On the three Van Alstyne charges, a magistrate set bail at a total of $18,000.
December 6 – About 3:30 in the afternoon, police made a traffic stop on U.S. Hwy 75 at Hodgins Road, after seeing it going 90 mph in a 75-mph zone. The warrant charged this suspect, a Terrell, Texas, man, with Driving While Intoxicated.
Police jailed the suspect on the warrant and transported him to Grayson County Jail, where, jail records show, a magistrate set the suspect’s bail at $500, which he paid with a surety bod. The following day, the suspect was released.
December 12 – Police stopped a speeding vehicle on the highway at about Farmington Road. They had clocked it as going 86 in a 75-mph zone. Again and following protocol, they tracked the driver’s record and discovered an active warrant from another agency and placed her under arrest on that warrant. The driver is a Denison woman, but jail records are not available on this suspect.
December 3 — About 12:30 a.m., officers again stopped a speeding car on U.S Hwy 85, this time aft er seeing it going 88 mph in the highway’s 75-mph zone. They smelled the odor of a alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle. Police then put the driver through Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, which he did not pass. They placed the suspect, a Carrollton man, under arrest on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated.
He posted bail set at $2,000 for his release on Dec. 4.
Indictments – An indictment is not an indication of guilt, but is based on the information the Grand Jury receives to let the charges go forward to court.
The Grayson County Grand Jury, in its Dec. 18 session, indicted Van Alstyne’s Mario Carrasco, 40, of Van Alstyne on a charge of Theft Under $2,500 with two previous convictions on the same charge.
This is the suspect in the theft of a child’s bicycle on Sept. 18, from a home’s fenced-in yard in the 600 block of Blassingame. The homeowner called the police and while they were taking the report, they learned that there was a video of the theft taking place. Many of the department’s officers watched and recognized the suspect from various previous encounters.
Police obtained a warrant his arrest on the charge, which is a State Jail Felony, and made the arrest. They recovered the bicycle, Hayslip added, and returned to the young owner.
Drug and Other Indictments
This two-week period of charges brought to the Grand Jury had them finding 23 drug charges moving forward. Of these, the most was Methamphetamine with 12 people charged with possession; Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which had 7 people moving into future negative possibilities because of possession; Cocaine saw 3 suspects indicted on possession of this drug; and there was on one indicted on a charge of Possession of Fentanyl, the drug labeled as “One Pill Kills.” Lastly, only one person was indicted for Possession of Marijuana.
Four people were indicted on charges of Assault With Deadly Weapon; 5 on charges of Assault Against Family or Household; 4 against Pregnant Person; and 3 against Public Servants.
Numerous other people were indicted on numerous other charges. These people’s residential information ranged in cities or towns from Howe to Midland; however, most were from Sherman and Denison.