Decatur Police Find Stolen Pistol

The following information comes from police reports.

Decatur police found a stolen pistol during a traffic stop the night of Feb. 3.

An officer noticed a gold Nissan Maxima with an Illinois plate and dark tinted windows on Commerce Drive. During the stop, a backup officer saw a pistol in the rear pocket of the front passenger seat.

The driver consented to the removal of the Browning Arms Hi-Power 9mm. Police called in its serial number and learned it had been reported stolen by the Acworth Police Department in 2011.

Police asked for and received consent to search the rest of the car. Officers found a pill bottle bearing the driver's name and containing what appeared to be marijuana in the middle console under the radio. The driver admitted it was marijuana that he needed to deal with pain because of medical problems.

The driver, Jerome Reese, 52, of Decatur, was charged with theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm during commission of a crime and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Police gave him a warning for the window tint violation.

Four catalytic converters worth about $400 each were stolen from vehicles at Dixie Auto Sales at 541 E. College Ave.

It appeared the converters were cut from the exhaust pipes on three Honda Accords and one Honda Odyssey. The converters were last seen late on Feb. 3 and were noticed missing the morning of Feb. 4.