Delaware state police nab man on felony gun charges during hartly traffic stop

Hartly, DE – Delaware State Police apprehended 27-year-old Miguel Hernandes-Tovar of Marydel, Maryland, on felony gun charges after a routine traffic stop on the night of February 19, 2024. The arrest took place in Hartly, specifically at the intersection of Hazlettville Road and Apple School Grove Road, when members of the Kent County Governor’s Task Force spotted a Buick with a registration violation.

During the stop, which occurred around 10:45 p.m., detectives engaged with Hernandes-Tovar, who was a passenger in the vehicle. The initial interaction led Hernandes-Tovar to reveal the presence of narcotics in the car. A subsequent search while detaining Hernandes-Tovar uncovered a concealed handgun in his pants pocket, along with a loaded magazine, approximately .392 grams of heroin, 28.82 grams of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

The female driver of the Buick faced misdemeanor charges, including possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, and was later released. Meanwhile, Hernandes-Tovar was charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and several drug-related offenses. Following his arraignment by Justice of the Peace Court 7, Hernandes-Tovar was released on an $8,200 unsecured bond.

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