Police arrested two people and recovered a handgun following a Morgan Hill traffic stop in which the driver gave police a false name and driver’s license, according to authorities.
A Morgan Hill Police officer initiated the traffic stop in the area of Monterey Road and Berkshire Drive early in the morning April 8. The driver provided the officer with another person’s driver’s license, attempting to pass it off as his own, according to a post on the MHPD Facebook page.
The officer thought something was suspicious about the ID and “peppered” both occupants of the vehicle with questions about where they lived, according to police. Despite saying they both live in Morgan Hill, they were “fuzzy” on their answers.
During an initial DUI investigation of the vehicle and its driver, a MHPD dispatcher advised the officer that the owner of the vehicle had a warrant for his arrest, police said. An officer at the scene called the driver by the vehicle owner’s name, Todd Branon, and the driver responded.
“Branon immediately realized his mistake and his head fell back as he explained that he had a warrant and lied about his name to avoid jail,” the Facebook post reads.
Branon was arrested on suspicion of DUI, false ID to an officer, using another person’s license and suspicion of identity theft, police said.
The passenger, Irene Camacho, was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, possession of drugs, possession of paraphernalia, felon in possession of a firearm and other charges.
Anyone with information about this incident can call MHPD at (408) 779-2101.
