Dallas police arrested three people Wednesday during a routine downtown foot patrol that uncovered outstanding warrants and drugs.
The arrests occurred around 9:15 a.m. on February 25 in the 900 block of Pacific Avenue, where Central Business Division officers conducted the patrol to boost visibility and engage residents and businesses.
Officers first stopped 23-year-old Coby Vandergriff for crossing the street against a do-not-cross sign. A records check revealed a first-degree felony forgery warrant from the Texarkana Police Department and multiple warrants from the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office. A search incident to arrest turned up marijuana in his pockets, leading to an additional charge of possession of marijuana under two ounces in a drug-free zone, a Class A misdemeanor.
The patrol continued, and officers spotted two people loitering behind a business displaying no-loitering signs. Approaching the pair, officers smelled marijuana on one individual and detained 30-year-old Kirk Rhoads, who admitted to having marijuana. Officers found several small, clear bags of the substance in his pockets. Rhoads faces the same Class A misdemeanor possession charge.
The individual with Rhaods, 23-year-old Ja Tavia Thompson, had two outstanding first-degree felony forgery warrants from the Texarkana Police Department. Officers took her into custody without incident.
Dallas police use foot patrols and pedestrian contacts across neighborhoods to deter crime and connect with residents and visitors.
The cases are documented under numbers 026881-2026, 026879-2026, and 026880-2026, according to a Dallas Police Department news release.