Traffic Hazard Leads To Gun And Drug Charges
Valley Springs, CA — The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office recently responded to an incident where a car was blocking both traffic lanes in a blind corner, and the driver was reportedly asleep.
It happened at around 11 pm on South Railroad Flat Road at Wharregard Road.
A deputy responded to the incident following a call from a concerned citizen and found 39-year-old Richard Alan Kessler III inside. Kessler, of Valley Springs, initially started to walk away when first approached, but then turned around and spoke with the deputy. Alcoholic beverages were in the car’s front cupholders, and Kessler admitted to drinking, and acknowledged he shouldn’t have been driving.
The sheriff’s office adds that Kessler was already on probation and was being sought in connection with an unidentified other investigation.
Inside his sedan was a baggie containing three grams of marijuana, a .38 caliber handgun with four live rounds in the cylinder, and a .308 caliber rifle with seven rounds affixed to the stock in a shell holder. Kessler is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. He was arrested and booked into Calaveras County Jail on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
An investigation is ongoing. No additional information is immediately available.
