Also on July 25, 45-year-old Marcelo Cruz Gomez of Page Drive, Smithville was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault and driving on a revoked /suspended license. His total bond is $32,000 and he will make a court appearance on August 15.
Chief Deputy Williams said that Gomez pulled a Jennings 9mm gun and placed it to the back left side of the victim’s head causing him to fear imminent bodily injury. Another victim, a woman also feared for her life.
That same day, 20-year-old Bryan Scott Woodard of McMinnville was arrested for driving without a license, possession of a handgun while under the influence, and underage driving while impaired. His bond is $7,500 and he will be in court August 15.
Chief Deputy Williams said that a deputy was traveling west on Midway Road when he spotted a black Chevy Camaro leave its lane of travel several times. The officer pulled over the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Woodard who smelled of alcohol and had red, watery eyes, slurred speech, and he was unsteady on his feet.
Woodard admitted to having consumed alcoholic beverages and smoking marijuana prior to driving. He refused to submit to field sobriety tasks. The deputy also spotted in plain sight a Rohm RG10 22-caliber revolver on the front seat.
On July 27, 58-year-old Edward Dale Caldwell of Cookeville Highway was arrested for driving on a revoked/suspended license. He is under a $1,500 bond and his court date is August 15.
Chief Deputy Williams said that a deputy was traveling Cookeville Highway when a red Chevy Silverado swerved into his lane of travel near Poplar Street almost causing a crash. The officer pulled over the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Caldwell who said he was turning into the parking lot of Glassworks and did not see the patrol car. A background check revealed that Caldwell’s driver license was revoked due to a DUI.
That same day, 41-year-old Carlos Edward Lopez Stiff of Nashville Highway, Dowelltown, was arrested for aggravated assault. His bond is $15,000 and he will be in court on August 8.
Chief Deputy Williams said that Stiff allegedly struck his wife in the face causing injury. He also allegedly tried to strangle her.
Also on July 27, 32-year-old Hope Leigh Lachenauer of East Bryant Street, Smithville, was arrested for aggravated assault. She is under a $6,500 bond and her court date is August 8.
Chief Deputy Williams said that Lachenauer allegedly hit a family member in the head with a metal water can causing injury during an argument.
On July 31, 39-year-old Brandon Keith Thomas of South Mountain Street, Smithville, was charged with false imprisonment, simple possession of a schedule VI drug, aggravated assault, methamphetamine manufacture deliver sell or possess, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is under a $39,000 total bond and he is due in court on August 15.
A deputy responded to South Mountain Street to arrest Thomas on an active warrant in DeKalb County. On July 24, Thomas was in a verbal argument that turned into a physical altercation. Thomas allegedly struck a female multiple times causing serious bodily injury. He also allegedly displayed a knife, placing the woman in fear for her life. Thomas also allegedly kept the victim from leaving by using physical force.
During a search, the deputy located a baggy in his right pocket with a crystal-like substance believed to be meth with a weight of 6.4 grams. The search also revealed a baggy with a green-leafy substance believed to be marijuana with a weight of two grams, along with a black pipe.
On July 31, 39-year-old Melinda Beth Murphy of Page Drive, Smithville, was charged with forgery and theft of property. She is under a $10,000 bond and she is due in court on August 15.
On July 19, Murphy allegedly wrote two checks that belonged to the victim in the amount of $340 and $430 with the intent to defraud the victim of her money. The case was investigated by the Sheiff’s Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit.
On August 4, 23-year-old Jathan Sebastion Eli Cantrell of Short Mountain Road, McMinnville, was arrested for DUI. He is under a $2,500 bond and will be in court on August 22.
A deputy was travelling south on Highway 56 when he observed a white Chevy Silverado leave its lane of travel multiple times.
After a traffic stop, the deputy made contact with Cantrell, who had a strong odor of alcohol, and red watery eyes. He allegedly admitted to having consumed six alcoholic beverages prior to driving. Authorities say Cantrell submitted to, but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.
