Sonora 911 hang-up leads to weapons arrest

A Livermore woman was arrested on weapons charges and a Modesto man could face charges after Tuolumnc County sheriff’s deputies reponded to a 911 call hang-up at a Sonora motel early Monday.

Arriving at the Best Western Sonora Oaks Hotel on Hess Avenue about 2:30 a.m., deputies found that Gerald Lillard of Modesto possibly had overdosed on methamphetamines, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. They determined that the woman with Lillard, Chelsea Hylton, had called 911.

She denied any drug use by Lillard, but he was able to tell ambulance staff that he had taken amphetamines, the news release said.

Deputies asked Hylton for permission to search for drugs because Lillard’s treatment would depend on what he’d taken.

Hylton, 27, consented to the search, and deputies found hydrocodone pills, a large amount of methamphetamine, heroin, drug paraphernalia and an AK-47 assault rifle in the room.

In Hylton’s vehicle, they found ammunition, a fully automatic Thompson submachine gun and a large amount of money in an envelope. The guns and ammunition were booked as evidence and the drugs and related paraphernalia were booked for destruction.

Hylton was booked into the Tuolumne County Jail on suspicion of possession or transport of a machine gun and possession of an assault weapon. She later posted the $60,000 bail and was released from custody.

Lillard, 47, faces the possibility of charges, the Sheriff’s Office said.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Sonora 911 hang-up leads to weapons arrest."