Hampstead teens found with guns and cannabis in car, Carroll police say

Carroll County police have arrested two Hampstead teens and charged them with illegal handgun possession.

According to a report from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, deputies stopped a vehicle being driven by Dashawn Lewis, 19, of Hampstead, for having a suspended registration and a broken brake light just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Taneytown. Police said they found a handgun on the passenger’s seat after Lewis and his 15-year-old unnamed passenger exited the vehicle.

Police also conducted a K-9 drug scan on the vehicle. After a police dog alerted officers to the presence of drugs, police said they discovered a second handgun and a bag of suspected cannabis inside a backpack near the passenger’s seat, according to the release; deputies also found a bag of cannabis on the driver.

Both teens were arrested and taken into custody. They have each been charged with carrying a loaded handgun, knowingly transporting a loaded handgun, and possessing a regulated firearm under the age of 21. The 15-year-old was charged as a juvenile, according to the release.

Lewis’s bail was set at $8,000 on Thursday, according to court documents. His trial is set for Dec. 10.