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Woman had loaded gun in her vagina when arrested, police say

WACO, Texas -- A woman arrested during a late-night traffic stop in Waco, Texas allegedly had a loaded handgun hidden in her vagina, reports CBS affiliate KWTX.

Officers arrested Ashley Cecilia Castaneda, 31, and Gabriel Garcia, 30, during a traffic stop Monday night, after allegedly finding 2.7 grams of methamphetamine hidden under the driver's seat of the vehicle and another 29.9 grams of meth in a purse, along with a set of digital scales.

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Ashley Castaneda Waco Police Department

Waco Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton told KWTX Tuesday that as police were taking the two suspects to jail, Castaneda told an officer she had a handgun concealed inside her vagina, Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said Tuesday.

"Officers immediately stopped and a female officer searched Castaneda discovering she had in fact placed a loaded Smith and Wesson pistol inside her body cavity. The weapon had a round chambered and a full magazine of bullets," Swanton said.

Swanton said he did not know if the gun's safety was on when it was recovered. According to KWTX, the gun police recovered is a 6-shot Smith & Wesson Model 61 semi-automatic pistol, which was first sold in 1970 as the .22 Escort. It has a 5-bullet magazine and was intended for concealed carry, the station reported.

It's a model that was last produced by Smith & Wesson in 1974.

"We don't see those too much," Swanton said.

Castaneda was charged with manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance in a drug free zone, two counts of possession of a dangerous drug and with unlawfully carrying a weapon.

Garcia was charged with possession of methamphetamine in a drug free zone.

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