SHERIFF'S REPORTS:

 

Accident at First Fleet parking lot

Joanna C. Jones, 17, of Bogard Road, in Cosby, was on Friday, March 19, apparently backing up in her 2008 Chevrolet HHR from a parking spot at First Fleet parking lot, at 810 Thinwood Drive, in Newport, when she backed into a semi trailer that was parked, causing moderate damage to her Chevrolet, Sgt. Eric Rinehart reported. The semi did not suffer any damage.

 

Identity theft alleged

Brenda Ball, 61, of Highway 160, in Bybee, said that she had been getting phone calls from someone purported to be with Capital One Bank, asking for her Social Security number. She said she refused to give it out. A few days later she received a statement in the mail for $863.03 for a credit card. She told Sgt. David Crum she believes someone stole her personal information to take out a credit card.

 

Theft reported

Steve Mayes, 58, of Mill Creek Road, in Hartford, said that between Wednesday, March 17, and Friday, March 19, someone entered his storage building and took a Stihl model No. 225 chainsaw, and from his garden, a Troy Bilt tiller. Items are valued at $800, Deputy Sheriff Travis Webb reports.

 

Theft reported

Cheryl Denton, 19, of Rankin Hill Road, in Newport, said that on Friday, March 19, an acquaintance opened her vehicle door and took her Samsung cell phone out of her hand and would not return it, Constable Nathan White reported. The phone is valued at $100.

 

Breaking and entering, burglary

James Lundy, 29, of Stoneview Way, said that when he returned home on Friday, March 19, he found a door to his home kicked in, Deputy Sheriff Steve Johnson reported. Lundy said stolen was a Surround Sound system that includes two subwoofers and four RCA satellite speakers, with a value of $100. He estimates damage to the home is $20. Lundy's neighbor said he saw an acquaintance of Lundy leave the residence earlier in the day.

 

Accident leaves part of vehicle in river

Shari L. Raines, 45, of Piney Mountain Road, in Newport, was traveling south on O'Neil Road at Highway 73 on Tuesday, March 16, at about 11:55 p.m., when the 1995 Chevy Camaro she was driving left the left side of O'Neil Road, crossed the northbound lane, went up a small embankment, struck a tree, traveled down an embankment, and left the rear portion of the vehicle in a river before coming to a stop. Raines was transported to Baptist Hospital of Cocke County to be treated for injuries from the accident, Deputy Sheriff C. J. Ball reported.

 

Juvenile on Banjo Way reported as missing

The father of a 16-year-old on Banjo Way said on Wednesday, March 17, that his daughter was staying with a relative when she allegedly left with a friend to go walking and never returned. The father said his daughter might be in Waynesville, N.C., and that she was supposed to return to state custody on March 18, Deputy Sheriff Tony Bailey reported.

 

POLICE REPORTS

 

Forgery alleged

Barbara L. Hyatt, of New Cave Church Road, in Newport, said that on Friday, March 19, an acquaintance stole a box of checks and forged her signature on five checks for a total of $1,000. A Green Bank employee said she talked to Hyatt who said she would go to the bank to get copies of the checks and would decide then whether to prosecute the alleged offender for forgery, Patrolman Thomas Whitfield reported.

 

Theft under $500

A manager at Murphy Oil USA Inc., at 1077 Cosby Highway, in Newport (in front of Walmart) said recorded by a security video camera was a white male seen taking two cases of Bic lighters from the front of the cashier window, on Wednesday, March 17. Patrolman Thomas Whitfield said he reviewed the video, which shows one white male distracting the cashier by apparently buying a pack of cigarettes, while the other white male takes the two cases of lighters. Both men appear to be between the ages of 18-25. The value of the lighters is $100.

 

Hit and run accident on Locust Avenue

Don Edwin Stewart, 60, of Muster Field Road, in Newport, said he parked his 1993 Chevrolet Sierra truck at a garage at 140 Locust Avenue, in Newport, on Friday, March 19, at 7 a.m. He said that at 11:30 a.m., he went to lunch and when he got home he noticed damage to the side of his truck. Stewart said he believes it was a hit and run accident while he was at work, Patrolman Thomas Whitfield reported.

 

Hit and run at Food City

Rita D. Messer, of Buckingham Drive, in Newport, said she parked her 2005 Nissan Sentra at Food City, at 181 Western Plaza Way, in Newport, on Friday, March 19, for about 15 minutes while she went in to shop. Messer said when she returned to her vehicle, she noticed minor damage to the front end and driver's front tire of her vehicle, Patrolman Travis Gorrell reported.

 

Accident at Jolly Tots parking lot

April Clevenger, 43, of 8th Street, in Newport, said she was inside working at Jolly Tots, at 471 West Broadway, in Newport, on Friday, March 19, when Jeremy Veridal came in and told her a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by Ronald A. Brunty, 64, of Battlefield Drive, in Dandridge, had backed into her vehicle, doing very minor damage. Brunty allegedly said he did not strike Clevenger's vehicle, Patrolman Travis Gorrell reported.

 

Another victim of a hit and run accident

Kelsea Paige Hannah, 18, of Nightingale Road, in Newport, said on Friday, March 19, that she noticed damage to the front right corner of the bumper of her 2003 Dodge Neon when she walked out of Walmart, at 1075 Cosby Highway, in Newport. She said she believes someone ran their vehicle into hers previously while it was parked at the Sagebrush Steakhouse restaurant parking lot, at 201 Heritage Blvd., in Newport, before she left and drove to Walmart. Patrolman Joshua Veridal reported that he noticed red paint scuffs on the damaged area of Hannah's Dodge Neon.

 

Two drug charges in arrest

Joshua Wester, 23, of 450 Cambridge Drive Apt. 2, in Newport, was arrested on Thursday, March 18, and charged with sale of Schedule 6 in excess of one-half ounce and delivery of Schedule 6 in excess of one-half ounce. A capias out of Circuit Court was issued on Wester for his arrest, Patrolman Donald Coakley reported.

 

Six drug charges

Jerry J. Hutson, 67, of 739 East Lehigh Drive, in Newport, was arrested on Thursday, March 18, and charged with three counts of possession of Schedule 4 and three counts of delivery of Schedule 4, Patrolman Donald Coakley reported. Hutson turned himself in to the Newport Police Department.

 

Two juveniles and one adult arrested for computer theft

A 16-year-old, of Breeze Way, in Newport, and another 16-year-old, of Holley Street, in Newport, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit theft (over $500) in connection with the theft of a laptop computer from Walmart on Feb. 20. The juvenile on Breeze Way was also charged with vandalism over $1,000. That juvenile was allegedly observed on video at Walmart of breaking the security bar on a computer display and directed two co-defendants to which computer to take and then met them outside the store when the stolen computer was sold, Det. Donna Hopkins reported. An adult, Shannon D. Dotson, 22, no address given, was also arrested in the case and charged with theft over $500, on Wednesday, March 17, Patrolman Matt Franklin reported.

 

Caught huffing inhalants

Bobby H. Hembree, 19, of 5395 Enka Road, in Morristown, was arrested Friday, March 19, and charged with theft under $500 and huffing inhalants. A Walmart manager said Hembree was huffing an air duster in the store. Hembree allegedly admitted to huffing. Three cans of air duster were found where he was inhaling an air duster, Patrolman Billy Woody reported.

 

Fraud over $1,000

Nancy Wise, 54, of Meadow Way, in Newport, said on Friday, March 19, that during the months of December 2009 through February 2010 she made several purchases of jewelry from Liquidation Channel on the Internet. However, friends that she showed the jewelry to, as well as different businesses in Newport, said the jewelry was not of the value of quality advertised on the Internet, Det. Lynn Shults reported. Wise apparently spent about $2,500 on the jewelry.

 

Theft of medication

Angie Jones, 49, of River Rest Way, said on Thursday, March 18, that 60 pills were missing from a pill bottle. Jones named two suspects she had over to her home as guests, Patrolman Matthew Elliott reported.

 

Accident on Smithwood Avenue

Amanda Michelle Carson, of 163 Smithwood Drive, in Newport, said her nine-year-old son went to put his backpack in her 2009 Subaru Forester SUV on Thursday, March 18, and started the engine to warm up the vehicle, which then jumped and hit her house, Patrolman Matt Franklin reported.

 

Accident at ConAgra

Sherman D. Huffman, 48, of Deerview Road, in Piedmont, S.D., said he was backing up a 1997 Friedlines Trenchery truck in the parking lot of ConAgra, at 540 East Broadway, in Newport, on Thursday, March 18, at about 6 a.m., to get out of the way of another truck, and hit a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck belonging to Danny Ray Warner, 49, of Knowling Loop, in Talbott, Patrolman Donald Coakley reported.