Traffic stop on Route 15 in North Haven leads to firearm arrest

A Louisiana woman was arrested with a gun that was discovered during a traffic stop on Sunday on Route 15 in Hamden.

The stop occurred on the southbound side of the highway shortly after 10 a.m. when a trooper conducting traffic enforcement near Exit 53 in North Haven spotted a Jeep Gladiator towing a camping trailer despite laws against campers on the parkway, according to Connecticut State Police.

The trooper pulled out and followed the Gladiator driver until finding a safe spot for a traffic stop in the area of Exit 51. The driver was identified through her Louisiana driver’s license as 53-year-old Kathleen J. Elliott-Guillory, state police said. Elliott-Guillory told a trooper she was not aware of the parkway restrictions in Connecticut.

According to state police, the trooper allegedly spotted what looked like a firearm near the center console while speaking to Elliott-Guillory. It was identified as a Ruger Max-9 9mm and seized by police, state police said.

State police later found that Elliott-Guillory does not possess a valid pistol permit in Connecticut. According to state police, she was apologetic and said she was not aware of the state’s laws about transporting firearms.

State police said they searched the vehicle but did not find anything else illegal.

Elliott-Guillory was taken to the Troop I police barracks in Bethany and charged with illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, carrying a pistol without a permit and failure to comply with state traffic regulations. She posted a $5,000 bond and was expected to be arraigned on Tuesday in Meriden Superior Court.