Dalton L Watts
(DOC file photo)
By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 29-year-old Bixby man, who was arrested in Perkins by Iowa Tribe Police Sgt. Andrew Zamudio, was arraigned Thursday on a charge of possessing a 2016 Dodge Challenger that was stolen in Stillwater, as well as having a pistol, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Due to his criminal record, Dalton Lee Watts, who previously lived in Perkins, could be given as much as a life prison term plus 12 years if convicted of the four-count charge filed last week. Watts, who was released from the Payne County Jail Monday on $30,000 bail, has been ordered to appear in court with an attorney on July 3.
The tribal officer wrote in an affidavit that at 11:01 am on May 17, he observed a suspicious vehicle in the north parking lot of Cimarron Casino, which is considered Indian Country. “The vehicle, a white Dodge Challenger, was displaying a paper tag and backed into a parking spot along Freeman Ave.,” the affidavit said.
“I collected the VIN and ran it through Iowa Tribe dispatch,” which reported that it was stolen in Stillwater, the officer alleged in his affidavit.
“Three male subjects then exited the casino and entered the vehicle. The defendant got into the driver’s seat and exited the parking lot traveling west on Freeman Ave.,” the affidavit alleged.
After the officer signaled for the vehicle to pull over, the driver continued west at a slow speed, so the siren on his patrol car was activated as well, the affidavit said. When the vehicle stopped in the 900 block of W. Freeman, “the defendant was slow to exit and was reaching into his waistband,” the affidavit alleged.
“I continued to give commands and observed him place the item pulled from his waistband on the floor of the driver’s side where he was sitting,” that was discovered to be a chamber loaded 22 caliber Walther handgun, the officer alleged in his affidavit.
“Also, in the vehicle console was a small plastic jar with a white crystal substance, later field-tested and confirmed to be methamphetamine.
“Multiple stolen items were located in the vehicle to include a welder, drills, speakers, compound bow, saw, and other miscellaneous tools.
“Located in the passenger compartment were a black pry bar and a set of black bolt cutters, commonly used burglary tools.
“In the door compartment was a used water bong with marijuana residue and a small glass pipe with white residue that presumptively tested positive for methamphetamine,” the affidavit alleged.
The defendant said that the contents of the vehicle belonged to him and that he was a convicted felon, the affidavit alleged.
“The defendant advised he did not know who the vehicle belonged to, but it was not his,” the affidavit alleged.
According to court records, Watts had been placed on three concurrent five-year probationary terms in 2023 for vehicle theft in 2022 in Kay County, vehicle theft in 2021 in Payne County, and forged instrument possession in 2022 in Perkins in Payne County.
