Three Texas Men Arrested On Drugs And Weapons Charges On I-40 In Ash Fork

Three men were arrested on drug and weapons charges during a traffic stop on Interstate-40 in Ash Fork Wednesday. Yavapai County sheriff’s deputies pulled over a 2016 KIA Optima for an equipment violation at around 8 a.m. The deputy smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car. The three men inside admitted to having pot, but not weapons. The deputy deployed his K9, who found the source of the odor, along with a pair of .223 caliber rifles that were in bags in the trunk. The rifles contained two, fully-loaded 60 round drum style magazines, and a fully loaded 40 round magazine. One of the rifles had a shorter barrel. The deputy also found a 9mm semi-automatic pistol behind the driver’s seat. The K9 found several grams of marijuana and THC wax. Arrested were 19-year-old Andrew Aldridge, 18-year-old Bailey Byron and 25-year-old Deven Hamilton, all from Texas. Aldridge and Byron were booked on three counts of weapons misconduct and drug charges. Hamilton was booked on two counts of weapons misconduct and drug charges. Bond for each suspect was set at $20-thousand dollars.