BRYAN, Texas — A Caldwell couple was arrested Sunday after police said they suspected them of engaging in criminal activity in a Bryan neighborhood.
Jasmine Simmons, 23, is charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her husband, identified by police as Jim Simmons, 39, is also charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia, but he is also facing a charge of possession of a controlled substance.
It happened on the 2900 block of Georgia Avenue. A Bryan police officer said they drove by the Simmons' parked car just before 9:30 p.m. and saw Jasmine Simmons in the passenger seat. The officer said they believed Jasmine was attempting to hide from their view and "slouched" down in the seat. The officer said they parked a short distance away and watched as people would come up to the car for short periods of time and leave again.
The officer said they walked up to the driver's side of the vehicle and saw a handgun wedged in between the driver's seat and the center console. Jasmine allegedly told the officer she was waiting for her husband, Jim, to finish talking to someone about car parts and the gun was for her protection. The officer then spotted two small children in the back of the vehicle, ages 4 and 3.
The officer said they approached Jim Simmons, who had just come out of a nearby house. The officer said Jim Simmons allowed a search of his person and the officer said they found a small baggie of methamphetamine in the front pocket of his shirt. The officer said they also found a larger bag of methamphetamine in a tin can in the pants pocket of Jim Simmons and a bullet that matched the gun that was found earlier in the car.
According to court documents, Jim Simmons has a previous conviction of deadly conduct/discharge of a firearm out of Bastrop County and is not supposed to be near firearms because he is a convicted felon.
Upon searching the vehicle, Bryan police said they found a scale with meth residue on it, more bullets with a caliber that matched the gun found in the vehicle and a glass pipe. The total amount of methamphetamine found with Jim Simmons weighed in at just over 15 grams, according to court documents.
The couple denies having any knowledge of the drug paraphernalia found in the car and denies ownership of those items. Jim Simmons said he didn't know what was in the tin can in his pocket, but he had found it at a nearby gas station and picked it up, because he liked the tin.
Jasmine Simmons has since been released from the Brazos County Jail on over $5,000 bond. Jim Simmons at last check remains in jail on over $18,000 bond. His bond was set higher due to being a felon in possession or near a loaded gun.
The children were released to a family member, police said.
