DOVER, DE – A routine traffic stop led to the arrest of Ralphon Owens, a 33-year-old from Greensboro, North Carolina, on multiple gun and drug charges. The incident occurred early on Tuesday morning, August 7, 2024, when Delaware State Police noticed a Jeep Cherokee exiting the Rodney Village Shopping Center parking lot onto POW/MIA Parkway without its headlights on.
The vehicle, driven by Owens, continued without headlights and failed to signal a turn onto Charles Polk Road, prompting a trooper to initiate a stop. Upon interaction, the trooper detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and observed plastic baggies containing a substance resembling marijuana in plain view. A subsequent search of the Jeep revealed approximately 7 grams of suspected marijuana and a loaded .22 caliber handgun, which was confirmed to be stolen from Los Angeles County, California.
Owens was taken to Troop 3 for processing. He was charged and arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 7, following which he was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $7,003 secured bond.