Gambrills man charged with transporting weapon

A Gambrills man was arrested Tuesday morning on a weapons charge after county police reported finding a pen gun in his car, officials said.

Officer Lawrence O'Connor saw a Toyota Tercel spinning out of control on Oak Manor Drive near the Route 100 ramp shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday, police said. He stopped the car near the Woodhill Apartments and saw a man in the back seat push something down as if trying to hide it, police said. Officer O'Connor decided to search the car because the area is known for gunfire and drug dealing.

He found a blue steel Hercules pen gun and five .38-caliber bullets in the back seat, police said. A man who had been in the back seat admitted owning the gun and bullets and said he carried the weapon for protection, police said.

Daniel Shane Carr, 18, of the 1300 block of Defense Highway was charged with transporting a handgun, police said.