Marijuana was found in a wanted man’s lap and suspected stolen items were located in his car during a traffic stop Thursday afternoon, according to sheriff’s reports.
Emergency dispatchers were contacted about a suspicious vehicle, a maroon Nissan Sentra, seen leaving the area of a recent burglary in which firearms were stolen around 3:40 p.m. Dec. 9. The caller then followed the car and reported information so that Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kevin Lester and Sgt. Richard Greer could locate and catch up to the vehicle, sheriff’s officers alleged in arrest reports.
A Department of Public Safety trooper in the area located the car and stopped it on FM 1567 east, just south of State Highway 11 east. As deputies arrived, the trooper approached the passenger’s side door of the car, the trooper reported seeing marijuana throughout the vehicle and instructed the man in the car to get out, reported Lester, who arrived as the trooper approached the car. As the man got out, Lester reported seeing marijuana not only on the man’s lap but also on the floorboard of the car.
The man was placed into handcuffs as a safety precaution while the officers continued to investigate. A records check showed the man, identified in arrest reports as 49-year-old Brian Alan Hays, to be wanted by the Parole Board in Austin, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
A probable cause search of the wanted man’s car allegedly revealed more than one item reported to belong to the person whose guns were reportedly stolen during the prior burglary. At least one of the items was believed to have been stolen Thursday morning, Dec. 9, 2021, as the person’s family member reported seeing it just that morning, the HCSO officers alleged in arrest reports. The items had not at that time been reported stolen yet. Officers took Hays into custody on the violation of parole warrant issue by Austin Parole Board. The investigation into the alleged burglaries and suspected stolen items was ongoing Thursday afternoon, deputies noted in arrest reports.
The car was impounded and Hays (who is also known to use the aliases Brian Alan Hayes, Brian Allen Hayes, Brian Allen Hayos, Brian Samuels and Brian Wilson) was transported at 3:47 p.m. to Hopkins County jail, where he was bieng held Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, on the parole warrant, according to jail reports.
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The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
