Traffic stop leads to marijuana arrests in Sunnyside

SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — A routine traffic stop Tuesday night ended with three people in jail facing drug charges.

About 10:30 p.m., a Sunnyside Police officer pulled over a black 1992 Honda Civic for a defective brake light near the intersection of 16th Street and Ida Belle Street.

The officer smelled marijuana in the car, found marijuana leaves in the folds of the vehicle registration and spotted plastic bags commonly used for packaging drugs in the glove compartment, according to a police news release.

The officer took four Sunnyside men in the car into custody. One was released after questioning when officers realized he did not possess any marijuana or paraphernalia, the release said.

The other three men were booked into the Sunnyside City Jail.

A 19-year-old back-seat passenger may face charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Officers said they found a scale, 34 grams of marijuana, $1,200 in cash and a box of .22-caliber bullets on him.

Sunnyside Police plan to seek charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia against the 18-year-old driver of the Honda.

The 18-year-old front-seat passenger could face a possession of marijuana charge.