Man arrested, charged with felony fleeing in Rankin County

RANKIN CO., Miss. (WLBT) - A man was arrested and charged with felony fleeing and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Monday.

A press release states that a Rankin County deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on a blue Nissan Passenger with a Florida tag for a traffic violation on Highway 49 south of Star.

Once the deputy activated his emergency lights, 26-year-old Christian Jonathan Aponte attempted to flee. Officers from the Florence Police Department successfully deployed ‘stop sticks,’ which deflated the tires on Aponte’s vehicle.

According to the press release, the suspect eventually lost control of the vehicle and drove into a construction area where the vehicle stopped near the intersection of Highway 49 and Highway 469.

blue Nissan Passenger(Rankin County Sheriff's Office)

Deputies located a 9mm pistol that appeared to have been illegally converted to fully automatic and found several high-capacity magazines for the weapon, along with two ski masks.

Aponte was transported to the Rankin County Adult Detention Center. District Attorney Bubba Bramlett will bring Aponte before Rankin County Court Judge David Morrow for an initial appearance.

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