Third subject still at large
By Glenn Harbison, News-Observer Publisher
Quick action by Sergeant Jessie Godsey and Deputy Kaylee Robertson of the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the arrest of two individuals only minutes after they are accused of breaking into Southern Drug Company in Blue Ridge.
Kenneth Earl Jones, 42, of Birmingham, Ala., and Darius Deanthony Bailey, 19, of Bessemer, Ala., were both denied bond Friday morning, March 17, by Chief Magistrate Judge Brian Jones. Jones said he denied bond because the subjects are flight risks.
Lieutenant R.T. Henry of the Blue Ridge Police Department said both face charges of burglary in the second degree, criminal damage to property in the second degree and possession of a schedule IV controlled substance (Alprazolam) with intent to distribute. All are felonies.
Fannin County charges against Bailey include a felony count of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and misdemeanor charges of obstruction of an officer, failure to maintain lane, speeding and signals required in changing lanes.
Jones is charged with a misdemeanor count of littering.
Henry said the Fannin County 911 Center alerted officers of a burglary at Southern Drug Company on East First Street at 5:08 a.m. Thursday, March 16, and Blue Ridge officers responded to the scene.
Investigations Captain Justin Turner of the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office said both Godsey and Robertson were in the Blue Ridge area and heard the alert.
Godsey spotted a Chrysler Pacifica minivan near the intersection of Highway 515 and Old Highway 76 near Bill Holt Chevrolet and attempted to stop the vehicle after the driver committed a traffic violation. Instead, the van fled south into Gilmer County.
The pursuit ended in the Cherry Log area when the van’s driver abruptly stopped near the intersection of Rock Creek Road and Highway 515. Bailey, who was driving, and a rear seat passenger jumped out and ran.
Godsey caught the driver after a short foot pursuit, Turner said.
Robertson arrived at the scene where the van had stopped within a matter of seconds and took the front seat passenger, Jones, into custody.
Additional deputies from Fannin County and Gilmer County converged on the area, including a K-9 from the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office. However, the passenger who fled managed to avoid capture and is still at large.
During the chase, Godsey had observed items being thrown from the vehicle.
Fannin County Chief Deputy Major Keith Bosen began searching for those items by walking south along the west side of the highway from near Maxwell Road. He soon located two separate bottles of pills.
Sergeant John Kinser and Deputy Courtney Peper arrived and continued the search, and Kinser found a third bottle of pills.
All the pills were believed to have been taken from Southern Drug during the burglary.