Key West Woman Arrested After Armed Phone Dispute

Key West resident Gail Marie Stephenson, 57, was arrested after a late-night confrontation on the 1300 block of Ashby Street at about 10:10 p.m. in which she aggressively searched for a cellphone she believed had been stolen; officers later found the phone on the driver’s-side floor of her Ford Explorer. Witnesses told police Stephenson banged on doors and at one point pointed a .22 Magnum revolver at the chest of a 52-year-old man after giving a ride to a younger man she suspected of taking the phone. Responding officers located a revolver case in the SUV and later recovered a loaded handgun nearby; police said Stephenson smelled strongly of alcohol and admitted having several drinks but initially denied possessing the weapon. She was arrested and now faces multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and armed trespassing, after several residents reported being threatened.