A man attempting to execute "a straw purchase" of a handgun for another person waiting outside in a car resulted in two arrests.

Whitehall Township police charged both men with weapons offenses, township commissioners and Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. learned during a report given by township Police Chief Linda J. Kulp.

Kulp said the incident took place at the Army Navy Store on Grape Street during the past month. Employees of the store called police concerning two suspicious men and the purchase of a handgun.

According to police, the man inside the store filled out the paperwork and then walked outside to speak with the other man waiting in the car.

This happened several times, police stated.

Police on the scene questioned the pair and determined the man waiting outside is legally prohibited from owning a gun. Police said the person inside the store was trying to make the purchase for him. This is commonly known as a "straw purchase," police reported.

In another incident, a Lehigh Valley Mall employee found an unattended purse in a mall store. After an hour passed and no one showed up to claim it, the employee turned it over to security.

When the purse was opened to look for identification so the owner could be contacted, a large bag of marijuana was found along with personal papers.

Police were summoned and, as the officer walked into the mall, a woman approached him and asked if a purse had been turned in.

The officer told the woman a purse had been turned in and asked her to follow him to identify it.

Initially the woman stated the purse and contents belonged to her, but said the marijuana did not. After further questioning, the woman admitted the marijuana belonged to her. She was cited with a drug offense.

Responding to the Bank of America on a call, police found an 8-year-old boy had been playing with his seat belt and the ratchet tightened, causing the belt to pin the his head against the seat and compromise his airway. The officer cut the belt. EMS evaluated the boy.

In another case, a reckless driver drew attention to himself by cutting people off on MacArthur Road and giving them the finger. To the driver's dismay, one of the people happened to be an off-duty township police officer who followed the vehicle until on-duty officers arrived.

The driver was cited for several traffic violations, nonmoving violations and for drug paraphernalia found when the vehicle was searched. The vehicle was towed from the scene.