Man charged after handgun found in Oakton parking lot

Des Plaines police found a loaded semi-automatic handgun in the car of a Maywood man on the Oakton Community College campus on Tuesday, authorities said.

Tristan J. Jones, 23, 1927 S. 12th Ave., of Maywood, was charged with one count of felony aggravated unlawful use of weapons and one count of unlawful use of weapons.

It's not clear whether Jones is a student at t he campus.

"I hope it was not a (Oakton) student," said Oakton Community College board chairman Emory Williams. "I am so very happy no one got hurt. I will be looking into it."

A police officer had stopped Jones' black Mercury Marquis at 4:45 p.m. for obstructed front side windows on the Oakton Community College campus, 1600 E. Golf Road, according to a police report.

While speaking with Jones, the officer reported smelling burnt cannabis from inside the car, police said. The officer asked Jones for his driver's license and proof of insurance.

While Jones handed over his insurance card, he couldn't produce his license. He told the officer it had been taken away due to a traffic violation. Jones was also unable to provide the ticket as proof.

The officer then asked Jones if there was anything illegal in the car. Jones said he had a handgun locked in the glove compartment.

The officer removed Jones and a passenger, a 20-year-old Chicago man, from the car before searching the glove compartment. The officer found a loaded black Taurus 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, which had 17 bullets in the magazine, the report said.

Jones had a valid firearm owner's ID card at the time of the arrest, police said.

Jones will appear at the Skokie courthouse on Monday.

School officials declined to comment on the arrest, said Bill Paige, a Oakton Community College spokesman.