October 15, 2025 – Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office officials report that on October 11, 2025, just after 9:00 p.m., deputies responded to the area of Mt. Elizabeth Road in Twain Harte for a report of a suspicious vehicle. It was reported that a pickup truck with a trailer was dumping trash in the area. The reporting party updated dispatch, stating the occupant appeared to be using drugs, and soon after, reported the occupant appeared to be slumped over the wheel.
Upon arrival, deputies located the described truck and contacted the sole occupant, 39-year-old Lawrence William Thompson Jr. While talking to Thompson, the deputy saw a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine fall from Thompson’s pocket onto the floorboard. Thompson was ordered out of the truck and placed in handcuffs. A subsequent search of his person revealed approximately 25.8 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket.
A record check of Thompson found he had two prior convictions for possession of controlled substances – making the current possession a felony charge under law changes subsequent to the voter passed proposition 36 in 2024, which reclassified certain drug possession offenses as felonies when committed by individuals with two or more prior drug convictions.
During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a Ceska bolt-action rifle with ammunition in a soft gun case, burglary tools including lock picks and a double-sided key, and additional drug use paraphernalia. Further record checks found that Thompson was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Thompson was arrested and transported to the Dambacher Detention Center, where he was booked on the following charges: 11370.95(b)(1) HS – Possession of a controlled substance with priors, 30305(a)(1) PC – Possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, 29800(a)(1) PC – Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, 466 PC – Possession of burglary tools and 11364 HS – Possession of drug use paraphernalia.
The body camera footage shows clips from the incident here.
Source & photo: Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office
