Two face charges following Girard traffic stop

GIRARD

Two people are facing controlled-substance charges following a traffic stop early Sunday.

The driver, Michael Kaso, 46, of Girard faces charges of driving under the influence, driving under suspension violating open-container law and driving without a rear plate light. The passenger, Dawn Rankin, 45, of the same Girard address faces drug-abuse, drug-paraphernalia and open-container charges.

Police stopped the car about 2:45 a.m. near East Liberty Street and Ward Avenue for a busted rear plate light. According to a police report, Kaso smelled of alcohol and had glassy eyes. There was a plastic cup with vodka in the center console, police reported.

Kaso failed a series of field sobriety tests and registered a blood alcohol content of 0.113. The legal limit in Ohio is 0.08.

Officers reported searching the car and finding a small amount of a substance that later tested positive for cocaine. Rankin told officers the cocaine belonged to her, the report states.