On December 8th, Will County deputies were in the area of Interstate 57 and Manhattan-Monee Road when they stopped a vehicle that was speeding and had a defective windshield. When approaching the vehicle, the deputies smelled a strong odor of cannabis. There was a passenger in the front seat, a 3 year old child in a booster seat in the rear and 24 year old Nicole Horton of Carbondale was driving the vehicle. During a search of the car, deputies found an AR-15 rifle in the trunk of the vehicle. A more thorough search turned up two AR-15 magazines, 9mm ammunition and a 9mm handgun was found in a drawer located in the booster seat the child had been sitting in. A weapons check revealed that the AR-15 had been stolen 2 months earlier out of a police vehicle in Southern Illinois.

Horton was arrested and charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, no FOID card and Possession of a Stolen Weapon. The child was placed in protective custody by DCFS.

Nicole Horton
Photo Credit:WCSO