On 10/18/22, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Derrick J. Hadra, age 40, of Mt. Carmel for Unlawful Possession of Weapon by Felon and Tara Day Jones, age 44, of Mt. Carmel for Possession of a Controlled Substance following a traffic stop at 10th & Parrish Street on a 2019 Chrysler 300 for a traffic offense.

While on the stop, Officer Daniel Hopper and his K-9 Eleven arrived on scene to conduct a free air narcotics sniff around the exterior of the Chrysler. In doing so, Eleven alerted to the presence of narcotics inside. A search of the vehicle resulted in officers locating a loaded Bryco brand .380 semi-automatic handgun, 5 ½ Hydrocodone pills, and 4 Lorazepam pills. Both medications are a controlled substances and require a doctor’s prescription.

Afterward, Hadra admitted to being the owner firearm; however, Hadra is a convicted felon making his possession unlawful. Jones admitted knowledge of the pills inside this vehicle, which is registered to her, and could not provide proof of a prescription.

Both Hadra and Jones were placed under arrest at this time and transported to the Wabash County Jail. Both were charged accordingly with Hadra being held pending a pre-trial detention hearing. Jones was released on a Notice to Appear in court after processing.