Smithville police recently nabbed a convicted sex offender from Wisconsin after investigating a traffic accident on Braswell Lane.
Chief Randy Caplinger said 22 year old Juan Martinez, charged with violation of the sex offender registry law and being a fugitive from justice, is under a $125,000 bond and he will be in court on February 9. He is expected to be extradited to Kenosha Wisconsin, where he is a convicted sex offender, and facing a new charge of exploitation of a minor.
According to Chief Caplinger, Martinez was involved in a traffic mishap on Wednesday, January 11 on Braswell Lane near where he had been living with his wife. The investigating officer did a computer check on his drivers license and discovered that Martinez was a convicted sex offender. After making contact the next day with authorities in Wisconsin, police confirmed that Martinez was wanted there. Martinez was later picked up by Smithville Police and charged. Chief Caplinger said police learned that Martinez had been living here for about two weeks but had failed to register as a convicted sex offender within the required forty eight hours after arriving in Tennessee.
In other cases, 39 year old Angela Denise Kelly is cited for shoplifting from Walmart on Sunday, January 15. She will be in court on February 9. Chief Caplinger said that Kelly allegedly tried to leave the store with several items including cd’s without having paid for them. Those items were found on her.
34 year old Crystal King is cited for shoplifting from the Dollar General Store on Sunday, January 15. She will be in court on February 9. Chief Caplinger reports that King allegedly was found putting things from the store in her purse. She was stopped outside the store and those items were apparently found on her.
50 year old Lisa Ann George is cited for shoplifting from the Tractor Supply Company on Thursday, January 19. She will be in court on February 2. George was allegedly observed going to the dressing room with several clothing items. Before leaving the store, she was checked and found to be concealing some clothing from the business.
39 year old Patsy Lynn McCoy is charged with two counts of theft of property and one count of simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance. She is under a $9,000 bond and she will be in court on February 2. Meanwhile, 30 year old Travis Malone is charged with one count of theft of property. His bond is $2,500. He too will be in court on February 2.
According to Chief Caplinger, McCoy is charged with stealing a diamond ring from a residence on Bell Street and then selling it to a local jewelry store, Granny’s Gold Mine. She took Malone with her to the store and asked him to make the transaction because she didn’t have her ID. Malone went in and allegedly sold the ring. Meanwhile, McCoy is also charged with the theft of a bottle of Ibuprofen from Kwik and Ezy on the same day as the other theft. After she was arrested and brought to the police department, officers found her with pills believed to be hydrocodone.
37 year old Michael Paul Howard is charged with domestic assault and placed under an order of protection. His bond is $2,500 and he will be in court on February 16. Chief Caplinger said that police were called to Christine Street on Sunday, January 8 to investigate a domestic assault. The victim told the officer that Howard became angry when he was asked to leave her home. When he refused, she got in her vehicle and tried to leave. Howard allegedly climbed on the hood and tore off a windshield wiper. He then jumped off and struck the driver’s side door window, shattering the glass, causing the woman to have shatters of glass on her clothing and a cut from the broken glass near one of her eyes.
Melinda Murphy is charged with joyriding. Her bond is $2,500 and she will be in court on February 16. According to Chief Caplinger, Murphy and a friend went to Warren County to pick up the victim, where he had received a traffic citation. They came back to Smithville to Walmart. While the victim was inside the store, Murphy and her friend left in the victim’s vehicle. He notified police of the incident. Murphy was found and charged in the case.
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