Ike Turner Free on Bail on New Cocaine Charge

Soul-rock musician Ike Turner was released on $2,671 bail Sunday, more than 20 hours after his arrest by West Hollywood sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of possessing cocaine.

Turner, former husband and mentor of pop star Tina Turner, was taken into custody Saturday when sheriff’s deputies who had stopped him for a traffic violation at the corner of Fountain Avenue and Crescent Heights Boulevard reportedly spotted what appeared to be a handgun on the floor of the automobile.

The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun, Deputy Pete Fosselman said, but a further search of Turner’s car revealed a loaded .45-caliber automatic, some drug paraphernalia and a quantity of cocaine.

Turner, already facing a March 19 preliminary hearing in Pasadena on cocaine possession charges stemming from an arrest last June, was booked at the West Hollywood sheriff’s station on the new charge of possessing cocaine.

Bail was set at $2,500, and was increased by $171 when an outstanding traffic warrant was discovered.

A passenger in Turner’s car identified as Demetrius Anderson, 31, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of possessing stolen property--the .45 automatic--and was subsequently held in lieu of $1,000 bail. Two other passengers in the car were released without charge.