UMd. Police Arrest Two Non-Students for Gun Possession

On Sunday, two separate routine traffic stops led to two arrests for handgun possession by University of Maryland police.  

According to a press release from the UMd. Department of Public Safety, the first arrest occurred around 1:28 a.m. on MD-193 near Stadium Drive after a university police officer pulled over a blue Pontiac Grand Am with a dysfunctional headlight.

Police noticed something was amiss when questioning the driver, later identified as Reuben Ryan Raysor, 19, of Takoma Park, about why his airbags were deployed. Raysor said he'd been in an accident in Takoma Park, and confirmed that he'd spoken with Takoma Park police, said UMd. police spokesperson Ken Leonard.

However, Takoma Park police had no record of the incident, Leonard said. Other sundry factors - like out-of-state tags and a drivers license that didn't match one another - were enough to prompt university police to remove Raysor from the car, at which point back up officers noticed a .25 caliber Colt handgun on the floor driver's side.

Raysor was arrested on charges of having a handgun in his car. 

 The second incident occurred around 12:57 p.m., when a university police officer pulled over a tan Chevy Impala on Route 1 near Rossborough Lane after noticing the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, the press release said.  

Upon walking up to the driver's window, the officer allegedly smelled marijuana. The officer proceeded to search the vehicle and found evidence of drugs, as well as a Silver Bersa SA Thunder .380 caliber handgun, which had been reported stolen from Mount Rainier. Police identified the driver as Tenisha Lynette Chase, 24, of Temple Hills. Chase was arrested on charges of having a handgun in the vehicle and drug possession. 

Neither Raysor nor Chase is affiliated with UMd.