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‘Intuition’ drives suspect to steal car

By DAVID MELSON - dmelson@t-g.com
Posted 11/10/20

“Intuition” allegedly led a Shelbyville woman to steal a car Saturday, she told a Bedford County deputy. The 2014 Dodge Challenger was stolen Saturday from the Circle K convenience store on North Main Street. Sgt. Chris Morton spotted the Challenger around 2 a.m. Sunday and stopped driver Rachel Gregory Gotham, 28, of Tollgate Road, on Hope Street just off Lane Parkway...

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‘Intuition’ drives suspect to steal car

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“Intuition” allegedly led a Shelbyville woman to steal a car Saturday, she told a Bedford County deputy.

The 2014 Dodge Challenger was stolen Saturday from the Circle K convenience store on North Main Street. Sgt. Chris Morton spotted the Challenger around 2 a.m. Sunday and stopped driver Rachel Gregory Gotham, 28, of Tollgate Road, on Hope Street just off Lane Parkway.

Gotham allegedly at first claimed it was her father’s car, then said she was at a gas station and it was “intuition” to get a car. She said the driver, who she was unable to describe, motioned her to take the car.

The Challenger’s driver - who is not the owner - told police he’d left the car running in the parking lot and a woman jumped in and drove away.

Charges of theft of property, theft of $10,000 and no driver’s license were filed against Gotham, who was being held on $6,000 bond Monday.

**Couldn’t get away

A suspect with active arrest warrants wasn’t able to get away by hiding under a race car Friday.

Jason Todd Blevins, 45, whose address is listed as Hendon Memorial Road in the jail intake and Old Unionville Road in the arrest report, allegedly jumped a fence at King Arthur Trailer Court as Shelbyville Detective Nathan Everhart approached. Everhart saw Blevins go under the car, reached under and cuffed his arm. Blevins said he was giving up at that point and didn’t resist, Everhart’s report said.

Blevins is charged with evading arrest (by foot), possession of drug paraphernalia and theft of property under $1,000. He was being held on $8,500 bond Monday.

**Got away

An unidentified motorcycle rider got away from an attempted traffic stop but wrecked the bike a few minutes later, a Bedford County Sheriff’s Office report said.

Deputy Hamp Vaughn pulled over the motorcycle on Madison Street, but the rider pulled away after briefly stopping in a Hoover Street parking lot. Vaughn searched northeastern Shelbyville and found the bike’s wreckage around the Industrial Boulevard-Plastics Avenue intersection. A helmet, jacket and cellphone were found nearby, Vaughn’s report said.

A witness said she saw a “white male” running away. The motorcycle bore an expired 2017 Georgia tag.

**Drugs found

•Methamphetamine was found on a man accused of repeatedly banging on a door at Shelbyville Inn, North Cannon Boulevard, late Sunday night.

Lee Lambert Warren Jr., 34, of Shoma Drive allegedly had a small bag in his wallet when arrested by police. A jailer found more rolled inside a dollar bill in Warren’s wallet at Bedford County Jail, police said.

Warren was charged with possession of a schedule II drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of probation and introducing contraband into penal facility. He was being held on $7,500 bond.

*Cocaine was confiscated as police investigated a dispute outside Club 69, Madison Street, early Sunday.

Officer Dylan Bliss noticed a bag containing 1.38 grams and rolled $1 bills containing approximately 1 gram of powder cocaine, his report said.

No one was charged.

Police said one man allegedly tried to conceal a knife from officers and another was found passed out in the parking lot. The initial call of an AK-47 being pointed at several people was unproven and no weapons were found on anyone.

**Thefts

•A blue 2002 BMW sedan was taken from a Ward Circle home between 3-4 p.m. Friday. The owner said keys may have been left inside.

•An untitled blue 2004 Ford Focus was stolen from a residence in the 100 block of Noblitt Road between Tuesday and Saturday.

•A wood stove and gas stove were stolen from a home on Thompson Creek Road at some point last week, the BCSO was told. Forced entry was gained through a door.

**Shoplifting

A man allegedly took several bags from a Walmart self-checkout station, filled them with more than $270 worth of household items and tried to leave without paying Saturday, police said.

Erik Cameron Ellis, 23, of Antioch was cited for shoplifting.

**Jail intake

The following were charged since Friday by the Shelbyville Police Department, Bedford County Sheriff’s Office. Tennessee Highway Patrol or 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force. They are only charged; guilt or innocence will be determined by the courts.

•Jennah Whitney Atkins, 34, Railroad Avenue; simple possession; released on recognizance

•Sebastian Gaspar Baltazar, 39, Lentz Street; DUI, failure to maintain lane, driving on revoked license, open container, implied consent; held, $2,500 bond

•James Scott Bledsoe, 50, Knights Campground Road; DUI, vehicular assault, simple possession of schedule VI drug; released, $5,500 bond

•Jason Todd Blevins, 45, Hendon Memorial Road; evading arrest (by foot), possession of drug paraphernalia, theft of property under $1,000; held, $8,500 bond

•Tricia Anne Brown, 51, Lamb Road; possession of schedule II drug with intent to sell, possession of schedule VI drug with intent to sell, manufacture of schedule II drug, possession of dangerous firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia; held, $100,000 bond

•Felicia Ann Clardy, 31, Mac Street; failure to appear, capias, bondsman surrender; held, $5,000 bond

•Chritopher Keith Deweese, 55, King Arthur Court; driving on revoked license (second offense), financial responsibility, failure to exercise due care; released, $1,000 bond

•Jose Vazquez Estrada, 30, Tullahoma; public intoxication; released, $500 bond

•Rachel Gregory Gotham, 28, Tollgate Road; theft of property (stolen property), no driver’s license, theft over $10,000; held, $6,000 bond

•Michael Joseph McNamee, 39, Bugscuffle Road; public intoxication; released, $500 bond

•Rigoberto Rico Mojica, 43, Highway 82 East, Bell Buckle; no driver’s license; released on recognizance

•Pedro Campos Osorio, 30, Trott Road; violation of probation; released, $1,000 bond

•Lauren Nicole Pegg, 29, Hickory Hill Church Road; DUI (third offense); released, $4,000 bond

•Lindsey Brooke Peoples, 24, Warners Bridge Road; failure to appear; held, $2,500 bond

•Gwen Nicole Ponder, 35, Warners Bridge Road; possession of drug paraphernalia; released, $2,500 bond

•Oscar Navar Porfirid, 23, East Depot Street; public intoxication; released, $500 bond

•Horatio Lewis Rice, 38, Shelbyville Mills Road; failure to exercise due care, no driver’s license, no insurance; released on recognizance

•Torence Jevour Taylor, 30, White Street; driving on suspended license, no insurance, light law; released on recognizance

•Wendoly Velazquez, 20, Buckingham Lane; failure to appear, capias; summons delivered

•Lee Lambert Warren Jr., 34, Shoma Drive; possession of schedule II drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of probation, introducing contraband into penal facility; held, $7,500 bond

•Christina Anne Weaver, 37, Bugscuffle Road; DUI; released, $1,500 bond

•Juan Mendoza Zacarias, 41, Sevier Street; driving on suspended license, light law, registration violation; released on recognizance