Police find bag in car, suspect drugs

COITSVILLE -- A routine traffic stop led to a man's arrest after police discovered 11 pounds of suspected marijuana in a trash bag.
Ptl. Anthony Larosa pulled over a vehicle at 10:43 p.m. Saturday for running a red light at the intersection of U.S. Route 422 and Wilmette Avenue. The driver was found to be driving under a suspended license and placed under arrest.
Upon further investigation, Larosa found a large black trash bag containing 11 pounds of suspected marijuana in the vehicle and a loaded .45 caliber handgun.
Larosa said the gun was "easily accessible" to the driver and "loaded, ready to go."
The name of the man arrested was being withheld by police Sunday night, pending further investigation by the Mahoning County Drug Task Force.
The driver will face a felony charge of trafficking drugs, and charges of drug paraphernalia, driving under a suspended license, carrying a concealed weapon and having a weapon under disability (having a prior felony conviction).