Marijuana bust in bank parking lot

The Hanford Bank of America almost received a hefty deposit of marijuana on Thursday afternoon when two local residents apparently pulled into the parking lot with a quarter pound of weed in their car.

Hanford police officers pulled over two men in a red Ford Thunderbird just before 4 p.m. as they entered the Redington and Seventh streets Bank of America parking lot. The officers, who had been driving behind the pair, noticed that the vehicle registration was expired and flashed their emergency lights to prompt the stop.

The occupants of the vehicle, 26-year-old Alexander Scott and Merlin Watson Jr., 23, both of Hanford, were found to be unlicensed drivers and reportedly gave consent to officers to search their vehicle, which was due to be towed for the infraction.

When the passenger and driver's side doors were opened, the inside door panel of each fell out onto the concrete. It is unclear at this time whether the doors had been loosened to aid in drug concealment, or if "it was a piece of junk car and parts were just falling off of it," said Officer Chris Barker, interviewed after the incident.

Officers reportedly detected a strong smell of marijuana inside the vehicle and soon located in the back seat a quarter pound bag of marijuana that had not been concealed.

Both suspects were arrested at the scene without incident and the vehicle was towed away. Scott and Watson were booked into the Kings County Jail on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana.

According to jail officials on Friday afternoon, Watson posted bail and was released from custody, while Scott is still being held in lieu of $35,000 bail.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.