18-year-old Dayton Pennington ran a red light at the Rivergate Parkway and Blue Boulevard intersection on the afternoon of June 27th, 2023. Officers observed this, conducted a traffic stop, and noticed Pennington had a learner’s permit with a licensed passenger under 21 years old. He was cited for the violation. Then, on December 29th, he was seen by officers on Myatt Drive driving a stolen Nissan sedan with temporary tags attached via duct tape that, when scanned, belonged to a red Ford Escape. While officers were running the tags, Pennington walked around the corner, trying to escape, but returned when officers told him to. When asked about the temporary tag, Pennington advised them that he knew the vehicle was stolen and that it was his friend’s. Then, he told them he was driving the Nissan from one parking spot to another and admitted to smoking marijuana in the car. Pennington consented to a search of the vehicle, where officers located two pipes and a jar of marijuana. The VIN was removed from the driver’s door and covered on the dashboard, but they confirmed that the Nissan was reported stolen on December 15th. Pennington was taken into custody for the theft of a vehicle and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia on December 30th. Additionally, he was charged for failing to book himself on the state citation for not having a license in June 2023.
18-year-old Dayton Pennington drives stolen Nissan with another car’s tags attached via duct tape
