Sheriff's Department Seeks Someone To Finger In Missing Rings Case

The Cannon County Sheriff's Department responded to a variety of calls last week, including several instances of reported domestic violence and one in which they found a van, but no driver.

• Deputy Brandon Gullett was advised by Lt. Brad Hall on Dec. 30 to go to 6299 Hollow Springs Road to take a report of a burglary which had already taken place. He spoke with Minus Morton Jr., who reported that four rings were missing from inside his residence.

The four rings consisted of a gold wedding band with Morton's name inside the band valued at $50, a gold horseshoe rings with diamonds around the the horseshoe valued at $400, a gold ring with a ruby in the center of the band and diamonds on both sides of the ruby valued at $100, and a gold ring with a purple stone in the center valued at $400. Morton also reported the disappearance of several tools.

The case remains under investigation.

• Deputies Patrick Fann and Eric Moss were dispatched to the 4000 block of Stones River Road on Dec. 29 to investigate a vehicle left unattended. When they arrived they found a blue Dodge van at the spring. The van was partially in the creek with the left rear wheel off the ground. The van did not have a tag displayed and there was not one on the inside of the vehicle. They looked around the area but could not find the driver.

Deputy Fann ran the VIN number and it came back to a Amy N. Newport of Winfield, Tenn. The van had not been reported stolen. Fann got in the van and found the keys in the ignition and the gear shift in drive position. The van would not start. Fann contact Pelham's Auto Salvage to have the van pulled from the creek. Fann did not notice any damage to the van. It was towed to the sheriff's department and placed in the storage yard. To date the sheriff's department has been unable to contact the owner of the 1994 Dodge Caravan.

• Deputy Reed Bryson was dispatched to 68 Vantrese Avenue, Auburntown, on Dec. 29 to investigate a report of possible animal neglect. Betty Crutchfield stated her next door neighbors appeared to have moved out approximately two weeks earlier and had left dogs inside the home. They also had an outside dog that she had been feeding. Crutchfield stated the outside dog had gotten loose and died. She stated she had seen the other dogs at the window of the home, but not for awhile.

Bryson went to the home in question, at 88 Vantrese Ave., to investigate. As he pulled into the driveway he reported he saw a sandy-colored smaller dog at the window.. When he walked to the front door it appeared to him the dog appeared to be in good health. He walked around the home and found the central heat and air unit was on. He could see a lamp was on in the area the dogs were in, leading him to believe that someone was living there. As he was leaving he noticed two other dogs through the window. He tried to make contact with someone at the home but was unsuccessful.

Deputy Brandon Mims took a followup call after being notified that Ashley Cowell has called the sheriff's department to see if she was in trouble for leaving the dogs at the house. She advised Mims that she and her husband were going through a divorce, but that one of them went to the home every day to take care of the animals. Mims advised Cowell to speak with the investigating officer for information about the incident.

• Deputy Brandon Gullett was dispatched to 9263 Jim Cummings Highway, Woodbury, on Dec. 30 to take a vandalism report. Upon arrival he was met by Guy Alexander, who stated that his motor home had been spray painted down the driver's side with yellow paint. Gullett attempted to make contact with the tenants of homes Alexander rents around the motor home, but was unable to make contact with anyone.

• Charles Gregory Light was arrested by the sheriff's department on Dec. 30 on charges of domestic violence, resisting arrest and drunkenness after deputies Steve McMillen and Brandon Mims were dispatched to Hurricane Creek Road.

Upon arrival they observed an alternation in the roadway. McMillen asked Light to step to his patrol vehicle, but Light became upset because the deputy did not call him by his name. Light then preceded to tell McMillen has wasn't going to, then Deputy Mims went around to the passenger side of the victim's vehicle and twice instructed Light to take his hands from his pockets and place them on the trunk.

Light became resistant at this point, and after a brief altercation with the deputies was placed into custody and taken to the patrol unit, where he attempted to kick out the glass. He was then transported to the sheriff's department for booking and processing.

Witness statements were obtained at the sheriff's department. They reported that the altercation stemmed from a dispute between Light and his girlfriend over car keys. They stated Light said he would "cut their throats and hurt himself."

Deputy Mims reported that Light admitted to him that he resisted and that he did so because he said the deputies were disrespecting him by not using his first name.

• Deputy Brandon Mims was dispatched on Dec. 31 to the 2000 block of Highway 70 just up from the Beer Stop and before the Stock Barn for a wreck. Upon arrival he spoke with Jacob Schwartz, who told him he lost control of his truck and slid off the road. Mims reported he noticed an odor about Schwartz that to the deputy appeared to be an intoxicant of some kind. In response to questioning, Schwartz said he had been driving the vehicle and admitted he had been drinking beer earlier in the day and that were on their way home.

Mims spoke with the passenger, Elisha Jenkins, and while doing so noticed an odor of intoxicant coming from him as well. Jenkins also admitted to drinking beer earlier. Both said they were fine and did not want to go to the hospital.

Mims spoke with Schwartz's mother to find out who she wanted to come get the vehicle and she said Pelham's Auto Salvage. Both Schwartz and Jenkins then felt they needed to go to the emergency room to be looked at.

Schwartz was read the implied consent form and did give a BAC for testing.

Schwartz was given a release citation for DUI, financial responsibility
and underage drinking. Jenkins was also given a citation for underage drinking.

• Charley H. Bain of Readyville went to the sheriff’s department on Dec. 31 to file a report of a stolen or missing license plate. Bain reported that he had recently returned from North Carolina (on Dec. 30) and noticed his tag was gone. A copy of the report was sent to the dispatch center to be entered for lost or stolen license plate. The license plate is 712 WHZ.

• Deputy Brandon Gullett was dispatched to 274 Tassey Road on Dec. 31 to take a report of property vandalism. Charles Elmer Brown started that sometime during the night his fence had been run through and was torn down with tracks going into his field and there were pieces of a headlight lying in the field.

• Harvey L. Harrell of 880 Peeler Hill Rd., Woodbury, reported on Dec. 31 that he saw a gray S-10 Chevrolet pickup truck hit his mailbox, knocking it down. The truck knocked down the post that the mailbox was on. Harrell stated it was the fourth time his mailbox had been knocked down, but this was his first time to report it. Deputy Randy Neal took the report.

• David L. Markum of 6236 Short Mountain Road, Woodbury, was charged with simple assault, resisting and reckless endangerment on Jan. 1 as the result of a domestic violence incident.

• Deputy Tommy Barker took a report of possible reckless driving on Jan. 1. Tom Danielson reported that Alan Dickson has been racing up and down Mingle Road and on 12.31.2009 had run off the road into Mr. Danielson's yard damaging the grass. Danielson was advised to call dispatch the next time this happened.

• Deputy Reed Bryson was dispatched to 227 Occam Lane on Jan. 1 in reference to a door being kicked in at a vacant house. There Jodie Taylor reported that he had bought the home from someone who was renovating it. Some people had been staying in the home before he bought it, but they had not gone through the proper channels to do so. Taylor had changed the locks to prevent anyone accessing the house but he found the side door kicked in. Nothing was missing inside but two air vent covers near the stairs were removed and lying on the floor. Damage was estimated at $200.

• Deputy Reed Bryson was dispatched to 7227 McMinnville Hwy. on Jan. 1 in response to a possible rabid animal. There Mrs. Anjalee Floyd directed Bryson to a raccoon in the back yard who was balled up and twitching. He looked to have recently been in a fight. Dispatch called the TWRA for advice and Bryson was asked to go ahead and put the animal down and for the home owners not to move the animal for 24 hrs.

• Deputy Tommy Barker took a report on Jan. 1 on a damaged mailbox from Derrick Cooper of 6859 Auburntown Road.

• Deputy Tommy Barker took a report on Jan. 2 for vandalism at the CCSO. Selmer Walls came in and asked for an officer to accompany him to 1690 Bradyville Rd. to investigate a field that had been driven through and damaged. Residents said that a Josh Stuart had left their new year's party to drive around in the field. They agreed to do whatever possible to help repair the damage.

• Deputy Tommy Barker was dispatched to 3495 Wilmouth Creek Rd. on Jan. 1 in reference to dogs at large. There Miranda Caffey and Neil Vogeler reported that a brindle pit bull had been showing up at their property, fighting with their dogs and chasing goats. Deputy Barker advised them they could take the animal to the pound and that they had the right to defend their animals if the pit bull was being aggressive.

• Deputy Reed Bryson took a report on Jan. 3 on possible forgery from Joye Hatfield who had picked up mail for her hospitalized friend Sarah Miller. Approximately eight checks had been passed at McMinnville Save-a-Lot grocery store totaling about $369, some of the checks had been passed while Mrs. Miller was hospitalized. Mrs. Miller has not authorized transactions at this store and she also cannot read or write due to age. On 01.04.2010 Lt. Brad Hall spoke with Joye Hatfield who stated that Miller's home health nurse Sherri Husband works at the Save-a-Lot in McMinnville and Ms. Hatfield believes she is a suspect.

• Deputy Steve McMillen took a theft report on Jan. 4 at the CCSO from Mr. Ronald Stonsfier who had a Honda generator motor, a Volvo intake manifold, and a camper shell taken from his property by Anthony Satchell who sold the items for scrap. Satchell had done this at Ms. Kathryn O'Neel's request who was seeking divorce from her husband Raymond Duke.

• Albert Summers served a warrant on Jennifer Rutledge in the booking room of the CCSO without incident on Jan. 4.