Molino Man Facing Felony Drug, Weapon Charges After Traffic Stop

January 10, 2026

A Molino man is facing multiple felony charges after an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy initiated a traffic stop that led to the discovery of narcotics and a loaded firearm.

Ricardo John Molina, 35, was arrested following the incident near the intersection of Mobile Highway and Edison Drive. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

According to an arrest report, an ECSO deputy was patrolling the area of South Madison Drive when he observed a vehicle approaching from behind with its high-beam headlights on. A second deputy, acting on the traffic violation, conducted a stop and identified the driver and Molina, who was riding as a rear passenger.

During the stop, K-9 Hura performed an open-air sniff of the vehicle and alerted deputies to the presence of drugs. A subsequent search of the back seat revealed a black bag where Molina had been sitting.

Inside the bag, deputies reported finding a Taurus .40 caliber handgun with a round in the chamber and eight rounds in the magazine, a clear plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, and two glass smoking pipes containing burnt residue.

Molina reportedly admitted to deputies that he uses methamphetamine. While the firearm was present during the commission of a felony, a criminal history check confirmed that Molina is not a convicted felon.

Molina remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond.

The driver of the vehicle was issued a verbal warning for the traffic violation and released.

Comments

5 Responses to “Molino Man Facing Felony Drug, Weapon Charges After Traffic Stop”

  1. derek on January 14th, 2026 8:22 am

    Jury will let him off thanks to the motor voter bill…

  2. local on January 11th, 2026 8:38 am

    When you’re from Molino, but everyone calls you Molina.

  3. joy bran on January 10th, 2026 12:12 pm

    And you wonder why tattoos spell DANGER??!!!! to scar your face is NOT normal behavior —I ONE tattoo on your arm or hand -stupid but ok–scaring the rest is STUPID and hideous

  4. Steve on January 10th, 2026 11:41 am

    Hopefully this won’t derail his promising professional career .

  5. This should be good on January 10th, 2026 10:39 am

    Here for the comments…

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News