Trinity County Sheriffs Report
Groveton News - September 2007

Crack arrest
TRINITY -- A 22-year-old Trinity man was being held this week in the Trinity County Jail in Groveton under a $5,000 bond in connection with the seizure of crack cocaine.
According to Trinity County Sheriff Steven Jones, Tigran “Turbo” Simmons was arrested about 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, by Trinity Police Officer Stephen Hodges and Deputy Sheriff Jay Robinson on Rockdale Street in northern Trinity.
“Officer Hodges had received information about a stolen vehicle from Huntsville and when he spotted it at a residence on Rockdale he called for assistance from Deputy Robinson,” Jones said.
When the officers approached the vehicle, they detained the driver, who was identified as Simmons, as well as another man standing by the car. The second man was released without being charged.
The drug charge was filed against Simmons when the officers found him in possession of an orange pill bottle containing several white “rocks” of a substance believed to be crack cocaine.
Jones said officers recovered a second pill bottle also containing crack under a tree a few feet from the car.
Street value of the crack seized by the officers was listed at $200.

Simmons was formally charged with felony possession of a controlled substance before Trinity Municipal Judge Howard Kinsel, who set the bond. He was then transferred to the Trinity County Jail in Groveton.
Jones said the arrest came in an area of Rockdale Street which has become known in the drug community as “Northside.”
The sheriff said that because of the increased drug and drug related crimes being reported in the “Northside” area, city police and county deputies will be increasing their patrols in the area.
“It has come to our attention that this part of town has become another hot area for drugs and we will be stepping up our enforcement activity there,” he said.
Jones invited anyone with information regard drug activity anywhere in Trinity County to report it anonymously through the Trinity County Crime Stoppers program at 642-2334.
“A lot of people felt uncomfortable giving us tips through the Crime Stopper program because the calls were answered at the county jail and they were afraid the dispatcher or a deputy might recognize their voice,” Jones said.
“That’s no longer a problem because all Crime Stopper calls are now routed to a central clearing house in Canada where they have people who are trained to take the tips. There is no chance that a caller’s voice will be recognized now,” he added.

Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to those who provide information that lead to the arrest or indictment of a suspect. Callers who provide tips are assigned an identification number and the Crime Stopper operator will explain how they can collect the reward.

Evading Arrest
TRINITY – A 21-year-old Trinity man was being sought this week on an evading arrest charge after fleeing on foot from officers during a traffic stop.
Cedric Pettie was wanted on a misdemeanor evading arrest charge in connection with an incident reported Sunday night in Trinity.
According to Trinity County Sheriff Steven Jones, a 1978 Chevrolet Impala was stopped by Deputy Sheriff Mitch Newman about 7 p.m. Sunday on Highway 19 in front of the Super Z Market.
Officer Thomas Park of the Trinity Police Department arrived at the scene shortly after the car was stopped to assist Newman, the sheriff said.
Jones said the driver got out of his car and gave the deputy his license, which identified him as Pettie. The driver was then asked to step to the rear of the vehicle.
“The deputy was checking him for weapons and as the suspect was removing items from his pocket, a small plastic baggy containing a white rock-like substance fell out onto the ground,” Jones said.

The sheriff said when the deputy saw the baggy as it hit the ground, he suspected it contained illegal drugs.
However, before Newman could react, Jones said the suspect scooped up the baggy, placed it in his mouth and took off running.
According to the report filed by the deputy, the suspect ran through the Super Z Market parking lot, jumped a chain link fence and managed to escape.
After the suspect fled the scene, Pettie’s friends and family members who had arrived at the scene verbally confronted the officers as they prepared to have the suspect’s vehicle towed to an impound yard, Jones said.
No charges resulted from the confrontation and the vehicle was towed from the scene.