Man arrested at Biltmore Estate gate with stolen AK47 and 2.5 lbs of pot, police say

ASHEVILLE — Biltmore Company Police on Wednesday arrested a man who they said brought more than two and a half pounds of marijuana and a stolen AK-47 rifle onto the estate entrance.

Torrey Lane Hodsden, 21, faces several felonies, including assault of company police officers with a deadly weapon, after he tried to flee from the Biltmore Company officers who arrested him, according to the warrants for his arrest.

Larry Rankine, director of security and police services for the Biltmore Company, said Thursday that shortly after noon Hodsden attempted to gain entry to the estate without a ticket.

Hodsden told security he was there to see an employee, but he was turned around when he couldn't produce a ticket, Rankine said before declining to comment further on the employee or the nature of Hodsden's visit.

Rankine said that Hodsden turned around and parked at the Gate House Gift Shop, which is visible from Hendersonville Road. Security notified police that Hodsden hadn't left and when officers approached him and asked him to roll down his window "there was a strong odor of marijuana," Rankine said.

Having smelled what they believed to be illicit drugs, the two responding company police officers asked Hodsden to get out of his car, Rankine said. Hodsden opened his door, but he didn't step out of the car; he attempted to flee, according to warrants.

"He threw the car in reverse, ran into our police vehicle, which was parked behind him, and in so doing, because his door was opened, he actually struck both of our officers," Rankine said.

That's where Hodsden picked up the assault against company police charge, a Class F felony, according to arrest warrants. Neither officer required medical attention after the encounter and both are all right, Rankine said.

After they arrested Hodsden, police searched his car and found a stolen AK-47-style rifle and 2.64 pounds of marijuana "found in multiple places in the vehicle," police wrote in Hodsden's warrants.

In his roughly 25 years with the Biltmore Company, Rankine hasn't seen many incidents like Wednesday's, he said.

"We take great pain to keep our oasis an oasis, but we do have a well trained law enforcement presence here in case, God forbid, something like this does happen," he said. "Fortunately things like what occurred the other day, let's just say they are very rare."

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People can shoot clay pigeons on the Biltmore Estate, Rankine said, but company policy generally prohibits the possession of firearms on the property outside of skeet shooting, which typically requires the use of shotguns, not assault rifles.

Hodsden faces two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon against a company police officer, felony possession with intent to sell, manufacture or distribute marijuana, felony possession of marijuana, felony maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance, felony flee and elude arrest, felony possession of a stolen firearm, and misdemeanor injury to personal property, according to police.

Rankine said the incident is still under investigation by company police.

Hodsden is currently in custody at the Buncombe County Detention Center, where he is being held in lieu of $275,000 secured bond.