Texas truck driver arrested after stop off Interstate 70
A Texas truck driver faces numerous charges after he was arrested Tuesday by state police during a traffic stop that started on Interstate 70 eastbound and ended off the West Chestnut Street exit in North Franklin Township.
James Patrick Baker II, 41, of Rhome, is charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, carrying a firearm without a license, having no registration, fraudulent use of a plate, driving under suspension and several counts of operating a vehicle with unsafe equipment and hazardous brakes.
State police attempted to stop the box truck towing a two-axle trailer on the highway, but the driver got off at the West Chestnut exit and continued into the parking lot of Washington Crown Center before coming to a stop.
Baker told state police he had sold his motorcycles and was transporting them to the eastern United States. He was then going to Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, to get a truck that was owned by his father.
Police asked Baker to get out of the truck. When he was patted down, police said a pocket knife was found. The trooper asked Baker if there were any weapons in the truck, and the Texas man reportedly said there was none.
According to police, Baker was placed near the front of a police cruiser so troopers could check the cab. Police said a loaded handgun was found inside a case behind the driver’s seat. Baker was then taken into custody. He told police he did not have a permit to carry the weapon.
Police said they continued to search the truck and found 10 vials of liquid marijuana and paraphernalia.
Police said Baker told them he had picked up the various vehicles found in the truck, including motorcycles and golf carts, at different locations and was trying to make money for the trip to retrieve his father’s truck.
Police determined Baker did not have a valid license. He also did not the proper paperwork for the vehicles he was hauling. Police examined the trailer and determined all four of the brakes were not operating, and the breakaway cable was not hooked up. The truck was not approved for interstate commerce, nor was there cargo insurance.
Baker was arraigned before District Judge David Mark and placed in Washington County jail on $100,000 bond. He is scheduled for an Oct. 22 preliminary hearing before District Judge Robert Redlinger.