Chief Randy Caplinger Releases Update on City Crime News

Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger has released an update on recent city crime news.
34 year old Wesley Chandler is charged with aggravated assault and cited for simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on April 5. Chief Caplinger reports that police were called to Walmart on Monday, March 5 on a complaint that someone was threatening an employee. According to report, the employee told Chandler that the jewelry department was closed and could not be re-opened at that time. Chandler allegedly accused the employee of lying and said that he had a gun. Police were notified and arrived at the store. Chandler had no weapon but the arresting officer found on him four and half pills believed to be hydrocodone.
36 year old Tyrone Owens is charged with theft under $500 and cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on March 22. Chief Caplinger reports that police were recently called to Walmart on a shoplifting complaint. An employee allegedly saw Owens conceal three shirts under his pants. Owens was confronted by the employee but he ran off, exiting the building by the lawn and garden center. Police were notified and an officer spotted Owens on foot at Morgan Drive. He was found to have on him three shirts from Walmart, still bearing the price tags. Owens also had in his possession two used hypodermic needles.
28 year old Brandon Tallent is charged with sale and delivery of a schedule II controlled substance. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on April 5. Chief Caplinger reports that Tallent allegedly sold two pills believed to be dilaudid to an undercover operative on Tuesday, March 13. Tallent was arrested at his West Main Street residence on Thursday, March 15.
24 year old Amanda Washer and 29 year old Michael Ryan Sullivan are charged with theft over $500. Washer is also charged with unlawful possession of a schedule III drug and two counts of sale of a schedule II controlled substance. Her bond is $10,500. Bond for Sullivan is $2,500. They will be in court on March 29. Chief Caplinger reports that police were called to Walmart on a shoplifting complaint Friday, March 16. Both Washer and Sullivan were found to have unpaid for items from the store in their possession. Upon arriving at the jail for booking, officers saw Washer trying to hide some pills in her pants. They recovered eleven pills believed to be oxymorphone, twenty two pills thought to be soma, and twenty nine pills suspected of being hydrocodone.
24 year old Brandy Nicole Turner is cited for shoplifting. She will be in court on March 29. According to Chief Caplinger, Turner was found at the Dollar General Store with an unpaid for item in her purse.
53 year old Lola D. Minton is charged with public intoxication on Monday, March 12 and again on Friday, March 16. Her bond totals $3,000. She will be in court on March 29. In the first case, Chief Caplinger said police were called to a residence on Kendra Drive March 12 where there was an unwanted guest. Under her bond conditions in a previous case, Minton was not supposed to be at this residence. Police arrived and found that Minton had fled on foot. She was found lying in a ditch on Kendra Drive. She was initially unresponsive. The officer detected an odor of alcohol on her. DeKalb EMS was called to the scene to make sure she was okay. Minton was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital where she was treated and released. In the second incident, police were called to South Mountain and Meadowbrook Drive where Minton was seen on foot. She had fallen twice. Police asked if she needed medical treatment. Minton said she was fine. The officer detected an odor of alcohol on her. Minton tried to run into traffic but she was stopped by the officer. Minton submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks
44 year old Veronica Mooneyham is charged with public intoxication and cited for simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance. She will be in court on March 29. Chief Caplinger said police were called to a business on South Congress Boulevard on Thursday, March 15 where they found Mooneyham slumped over the steering wheel of her vehicle. She was awakened and found to have slurred speech. Mooneyham was also unsteady on her feet. The officer found drugs in her possession including what was believed to be xanax, oxycodone, and oxycontin.
19 year old Michael Jesse Dinovo and 20 year old Terry Lee Jones are cited for underage possession and consumption of alcohol. They will be in court on March 29. Chief Caplinger said police made a traffic stop of Dinovo’s vehicle on Friday, March 16. The officer detected a strong odor of alcohol on the driver, Dinovo and Jones, the passenger. Two open beers along with seventeen unopened beers were found in the vehicle.
23 year old Derrick Fitts is charged with public intoxication. He is under a $1,000 bond and will be in court on March 29. Chief Caplinger said police were called to a call of physical fight on Meadowbrook Drive Saturday, March 17. The officer arrived and found Fitts in the back seat of a vehicle. He appeared to be intoxicated. EMS was called to the scene but Fitts allegedly refused medical treatment. He was belligerent and becoming an annoyance. After being told several times to do so, Fitts went inside the residence. Police left the scene but returned later when Fitts came back outside. The officer said Fitts was drinking and shouting obscenities. He was placed under arrest.
32 year old James Estes is charged with evading by a motor vehicle and driving while his license was suspended. His bond is $4,500. Chief Caplinger said that police spotted Estes speeding on Foster Road. The officer got behind him but Estes sped up, turning onto Miller Road where he allegedly crossed into the oncoming lane of travel and passed another vehicle on double yellow lines. Estes turned onto Georgia Lane and then to Kendra Drive where he stopped at an apartment complex. Estes got out of his vehicle and tried to flee on foot. Police ordered him to stop. He initially stopped and turned toward the officer, but then he took off on foot again. The officer deployed a taser and Estes was subsequently arrested.