Owens Charged in Burglary and Theft Investigation

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has made another arrest in a burglary and theft investigation in which two others have already been charged.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says 33 year old Tyrone Dewayne Owens of Shady Drive, Smithville was charged on Friday, October 23rd with three counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of theft over $1,000 and one count of theft over $500. Bond for Owens is set at $67,500. According to Sheriff Ray, county detectives discovered, during an investigation, that Owens was involved in the same recent burglaries and thefts as 49 year old Timothy Riley and 43 year old Martin Riley of Poss Road, Smithville who were arrested in September. Owens is accused of breaking into homes on Silver Point Road and Ponder Road. Among the items stolen from the homes were stainless steel refrigerators, stainless steel gas ranges, TVs, microwaves, night stands, cookware, vacuum cleaners, chairs, radios, and telescopes. Meanwhile, in another case, Owens is believed to have taken a Troy Built lawnmower from someone’s property on Hurricane Ridge Road in Smithville. Owens will appear in General Sessions Court on November 19th to face the charges against him.
21 year old Cynthia Marie Shehane of Page Drive, Smithville was arrested Friday for filing a false police report. On October 20th, Shehane reported to a deputy that her 1995 Chevy Blazer had been stolen. After an investigation, the officer learned that Shehane had traded the vehicle and that it had not been stolen. Bond for Shehane was set at $1,000 and she will appear in court on October 29th.
On Thursday, October 22nd, deputies responded to an accident on Sparta Highway and arrested 30 year old Robert Lee Nichols Jr. of E.H. Haas Road Dowelltown after he was found to be operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Officers noticed an odor of alcohol on Nichols’ person and he was unsteady on his feet. Nichols’ submitted to field sobriety tasks but he failed. Upon a search of Nichols, officers found pills believed to be clonazepam and hydrocodone on his person. Nichols was arrested for driving under the influence, simple possession of drugs, and he was issued citations for driving on an expired driver’s license, failure to maintain his lane of travel, no insurance, and violation of registration for his vehicle. Bond for Nichols was set at $2,500 and he will appear in court on October 29th
19 year old Robert Earl Watley of Tramel Branch Road, Alexandria was arrested on Saturday, October 24th on a failure to appear warrant in which he was sentenced by the court to serve weekends in the DeKalb County Jail. Watley missed a total of six weekends. Watley’s bond was set at $1,000 and he will appear in court on November 5th
On Sunday, October 25th, detectives arrested 38 year old Chad Everete Knowles of The Loop Smithville after officers stopped a vehicle on Highway 53 in Alexandria in which he was a passenger. Knowles was found to have in his possession a small bag containing three metal containers with a total of 240 dilaudid pills in them and another container which had two types of hydrocodone pills. Knowles was released on parole from the Tennessee Department of Corrections earlier this year and he relocated back to DeKalb County. Knowles had earlier been found guilty of possession of dilaudid and he had been serving a sentence on that charge. As a result of this latest offense, Knowles was charged with simple possession of a schedule III drug (hydrocodone) and possession of a schedule II drug (dilaudid) with the intent to sell and deliver. Detectives also seized $131.44 from Knowles believed to be money used in the drug trade. Bond for Knowles was set at $105,000 and he will appear in court on November 5th. More charges are pending in the case.
Sheriff Ray says the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Halloween this Saturday. He says the department will be on special patrols this weekend to help keep everyone safe. “This weekend, trick-or-treaters will take to the streets all over DeKalb County in search of candy and other treats. I would like to help ensure those little ghosts and goblins are safe and would like to offer a few tips to help make their Halloween a happy event. ”
” Make sure your all of your children have eaten before they go trick-or-treating and give them some candy from home to eat while out to avoid the temptation to eat from their treat bags. Adults should check all treats before your child has a chance to eat it. Adults should look for faded or opened wrappers or other signs of contamination, like puncture holes. Parents should discard any homemade candy or baked goods in your child’s treat bag unless received from someone you know and trust. If in doubt, throw it out.
” Leaving the porch light on is the universal welcome sign for Halloween and signifies the best places for children to trick-or-treat at. It is also very important to talk with your child about why they should not enter homes or apartments unless accompanied by an adult. Parents should remind their children about the dangers of talking to or taking items from people that they do not know.
” People who are welcoming trick or treaters to their homes should make sure their sidewalk area is clear of anything that could cause someone to fall. Pet owners should also make sure their pet is tied or penned away from walkways or porches where people will be traveling.
” Children should be reminded about running from house to house and urged to use the sidewalk if available, rather than walking in the street.
” Parents should also discuss the dangers of running out from behind or between parked cars and why it’s important to stop at all intersections and look and listen for traffic before crossing any street.
” Sheriff Ray also wants to remind motorists to slow down and be alert on Halloween Night. Motorist needs to be on the look out for people crossing the street. Sometimes small children are hard for motorist to see. Also be careful about backing out from driveways. Try to back out slowly and look and listen for on coming traffic or people behind you.
” If the need arises for any assistance from Sheriff’s Department, please call the Central Dispatch and a Deputy will be dispatched to your location.”