A 20 year old man is facing a charge of aggravated arson after he participated in firing a flare gun into a home while a woman and minor were inside the residence. There were apparently no injuries.
20 year old Daniel Lewis Dillard of Lee Braswell Road, Smithville is under a bond of more than one million dollars for the Class A offense of aggravated arson. He is also charged with resisting stop, frisk, halt, or search. Dillard was already on probation for a separate offense at the time of the incident. He will make a court appearance on January 4.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Monday, December 4, Dillard did knowingly and recklessly partake in the shooting of a flare gun into a residence on Lee Braswell Road causing damage to the house and some of the furnishings. A female and juvenile were present in the home at the time of the offense.
Five days later while being taken into custody, Dillard tried to resist officers’ efforts in placing him under arrest. The case was investigated by a detective.
29 year old Brandon Chase Belcher of Kendra Drive, Smithville is charged with vandalism. His bond is $5,000 and he will be in court on January 4.
Sheriff Ray said that on November 9 Belcher was at a residence on Coconut Ridge Road and he spun gravel into the victim’s truck as he drove away causing $1,246 in damage to the vehicle. The case was investigated by a detective.
32 year old Vanessa Nicole Freeman of Sims Street, Dowelltown is charged with disorderly conduct. Her bond is $1,500 and her court date is January 4.
Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, December 9 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Floyd Drive, Smithville for a possible domestic. Freeman was outside the home screaming and cursing after being ordered several times to stop. Freeman was then placed under arrest.
48 year old Timothy Shawn Roller of Foster Road, McMinnville is charged with driving under the influence. Roller’s bond is $1,500 and his court date is January 4.
Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, December 10 a deputy spotted a silver Chevy truck failing to maintain its lane of travel on Evins Mill Road in Smithville. The officer stopped the truck and spoke with the driver, Roller whose speech was slurred and he had an odor of alcohol about his person. Roller submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.
48 year old Jimmy Dwight Underhill of Rolling Acres Road, Smithville is charged with domestic assault. He is under a $2,000 bond and his court date is January 4.
Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, December 10 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Rolling Acres Road due to a physical domestic and spoke with a woman who said that she and her ex-husband (Underhill) who still lived together had gotten into an argument over his drinking alcohol. According to the woman, she ordered Underhill to leave the home but he refused telling her she was the one who was going to leave. Underhill then kicked her in the back of the leg while wearing his cowboy boots which left a mark on the back of her left leg.
50 year old Jeffery Lee Johnson of Pack Circle, Smithville is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is January 4.
Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, December 11 a deputy was patrolling on Lakeside Drive when he spotted a vehicle setting in the eastbound right lane with its lights off. The officer stopped and spoke with the driver, Johnson who appeared to be jittery. The deputy detected an odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle. Johnson’s eyes were glassy and red and his pupils dilated. He performed poorly on field sobriety tasks and refused to submit to implied consent. A search warrant was obtained for a sample of his blood for testing.
48 year old Michael James Culver of Sparta is charged with public intoxication. His bond is $1,500 and his court date is December 21.
Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, December 2 a deputy responded to Highway 56 south near DeKalb Memorial Gardens due to a report of a suspicious man walking down the road and acting erratically. The officer spotted the man, Culver walking into lanes of travel on the busy highway. He was unsteady on his feet. He couldn’t tell the officer where he was at and his speech was slurred. After determining Culver was under the influence of an intoxicant, the deputy placed him under arrest for his safety and that of the public.
30 year old Travis Dewayne Hawkins of McMinnville is charged with driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and Hawkins will make a court appearance on December 21.
According to Sheriff Ray, a deputy received a call on Tuesday, December 5 about a black Chrysler Sebring JX convertible traveling inbound toward Smithville from Sparta. The driver of the car was reported to have been involved in an aggravated assault in White County. The officer spotted the vehicle and pulled it over. The driver, Hawkins had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person, and his speech was slurred. Hawkins told the officer that he had taken Percocet and Gabapentin before driving and had consumed some Fireball whiskey. A half filled bottle of whiskey was found in the car. Hawkins submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.
52 year old Ronald Jeffrey Patterson of Patterson Road, Smithville is charged with violation of bond conditions. His bond is $25,000 and his court date is January 11.
Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, December 3 Patterson was found to have violated bond conditions put in place to protect a woman (victim) by contacting her. She was a victim in an aggravated assault case. Patterson was also found to have an alcoholic beverage in his possession, which is also a violation of his bond conditions.
Archived News & Obituaries