Thefts have been on the rise lately in the county, especially thefts from vehicles, and Sheriff Patrick Ray is urging everyone to take precautions.
“We have been getting a high volume of theft calls in the county. A lot of the thefts we have been seeing are vehicle thefts. I want to remind you not to leave things inside your vehicle in plain view such as computers, cell phones, jewelry, money, and cameras. Things like this have been reported stolen. We ask you to lock up your valuables either in the trunk or in a hidden area of your vehicle. If you have a GPS device that is in the window, take it down and place it under the seat or in another safe place where it is not visible from the outside,” said Sheriff Ray.
“We have also had some places around the lake that have been hit (burglarized) as well as a few home burglaries sporadic throughout the county. Guns, jewelry, cash and other things have been stolen from some of these homes, along with some furniture,” he said.
“We ask everyone to be aware of your surroundings and report to central dispatch any strange vehicles or unusual happenings in your neighborhood. Call 215-3000 and central dispatch will have a deputy come out and check. Its always better to be safe than sorry. Go ahead and call it in and we’ll come out and look and see who it is. You can never tell. It could be that the persons you suspect might not be up to anything at that moment, but in a day or two, if a house should get broken into, we can go back on our logs and check for tag numbers, if they have been reported,” said Sheriff Ray.
Meanwhile, in his weekly crime report, Sheriff Ray reports that 33 year old Jamie Edward Carroll of Gentry Avenue, Smithville is charged with initiation of a process intended to manufacture methamphetamine. His bond is $50,000 and he will be in court on August 23.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, July 19 officers went to Carroll’s residence at 834 Gentry Avenue due to high traffic volume there. After receiving consent to search, officers found four hypodermic needles and several items used to manufacture methamphetamine including Aleve D Cold tablet boxes (in a kitchen garbage can); a 20 ounce plastic bottle, partially filled with a solid substance; a cold pack, partially burned in the back yard; and another cold pack which was found cut on the carport area of the home.
57 year old Larry Dale Lepley of Short Mountain Highway, Smithville is charged with a second offense of driving under the influence. He was also issued a citation for failure to yield and violation of the financial responsibility law for no insurance. His bond is $3,000 and he will be in court on August 9
Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, July 16, Lepley was involved in a car crash on Highway 70. He had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and needed help to walk. Lepley submitted to but failed field sobriety tasks because of his level of intoxication. He also submitted to a blood test. Lepley was arrested and brought to the jail for booking. His prior DUI offense was on May 29, 2008.
27 year old Robin Lynn Woodard of Hogan Road, Gordonsville is charged with a third offense of driving under the influence. Her bond is $5,000 and she will be in court on July 26.
Sheriff Ray said that on Tuesday, July 17, Woodard was stopped for running a stop sign on Highway 70. She had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person and she was very unsteady on her feet. She performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. She submitted to a blood test. Woodard was arrested and brought to the jail for booking. Prior DUI offenses against her were on November 20, 2008 in Smith County and February 17, 2009 in Wilson County.
36 year old Waylon Ray Farless of Redmon Road, Smithville is charged with driving on a revoked license and theft of property over $1,000. His bond totals $13,500 and he will be in court on July 26
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, July 19, Farless was operating a motor vehicle on Smith Fork Road but stopped because trees were across the road. An officer on the scene asked for his license but Farless could not produce an identification. A computer check revealed that his license were revoked for driving on a revoked license on May 28, 2008 in Warren County. Prior offenses against him were January 31, 2003 in Putnam County and May 28, 2008 in Warren County.
Meanwhile in the theft case, Sheriff Ray said that on June 15 at 186 Vickers Hollow Road, Farless allegedly took a fourteen foot Tandem axle trailer, valued at over $1,000.
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