Springfield man arrested for having loaded gun in his car may face more serious charge

A Springfield man arrested early Sunday for having a loaded gun in his vehicle could face more trouble.

Clard E. Cross, 35, was arrested for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Kansas Street just past 1 a.m. Sunday.

Because Cross is a convicted felon, he was also arrested for being an armed habitual criminal.

During a traffic stop by Springfield Police, officers observed a handle of a handgun under the driver's seat. A loaded 9mm handgun was recovered. There was also open alcohol in the vehicle.

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Cross was transported to Sangamon County Jail.

Cross was convicted of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance in 2005 and 2018 and trafficking a controlled substance in 2009.

Cross has a current 16-count complaint against him that includes cruel treatment to an animal.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.