SUPERIOR COURT
A Lilburn woman charged in an 18-count indictment entered a guilty plea in Jones County Superior Court and received 20 years to serve in prison.
The plea entered by Jacquellne Nicole Aiello Feb. 9 was the result of plea negotiations with the state and was followed by a sentencing hearing.
Aiello entered a guilty plea for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and was sentenced to five years, aggravated assault and received 15 years and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and received 10 years.
The state requested a sentence of 20 years to serve in prison.
The sentencing hearing was in front of Chief Superior Court Judge Brenda Trammell after the plea was accepted. Aiello was represented by public defender Tom O’Donnell, and the state was represented by Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney T. Wright Barksdale III.
In a statement about the hearing, Barksdale said the defense asked for 10 years to serve because Aiello was previously deemed incompetent to stand trial and was only recently restored to competency. O’Donnell also informed the court that his client had flesheating bacteria on her foot at the time the crimes took place.
In his response, the district attorney said he pointed to the defendant’s two prior felony convictions and the fact that he dismissed all but three of her charges pursuant to her accepting responsibility.
Trammell sentenced Aiello to 20 years to serve.
Aiello was arrested Sept. 5, 2021, and was indicted by a Jones County Grand Jury Oct. 13, 2021, on the 18 counts for which she was charged. Her charges included traffic charges of driving with an altered license plate, affixing plate to conceal or misrepresent identity, driving without license, driving on the wrong side of road, reckless driving and speeding. She was also indicted for fleeing or attempting to elude police officer, aggravated assault upon a police officer, abandonment of drugs in public place, VGCSA possession schedule II non-narcotic drug, possession of firearm during commission of felony, possession of a firearm by convicted felon and felony theft by receiving stolen property.
The story of Aiello’s arrest began Sunday morning, Sept. 5, 2021, at 6:30 a.m. in Gray when Gray Police Officer Daniel Pointer was patrolling West Clinton Street and saw a small black sedan with no running lights working.
In his report, Pointer said when he checked the tag, he noticed that the last number had been altered. He said he approached the driver and informed her of the reason for the traffic stop. At that point, the officer said the driver put the car in drive and sped away. Pointer said he returned to his vehicle and informed dispatch he was initiating a pursuit.
The officer said the driver exited the parking lot going the wrong way toward oncoming traffic on West Clinton Street. He said she crossed over to the correct side, still fleeing.
Pointer said there was a gap between him and the suspect, but he was able to catch the vehicle in the area of Graham Road with GPD Lt. Thaxton Pennamon second in pursuit.
The officer said the driver again went to the wrong side of the road, almost hitting an oncoming motorist head-on. She took a left on Chapman Road and was about a half mile from Lite-N-Tie Road when he heard a gunshot.
Pointer informed dispatch that the driver was shooting a gun during the pursuit. He said Jones County Sheriff’s Deputy John Kile joined the pursuit that turned on Garrison Road, then Highway 49.
The officer said the driver was seen throwing a box of an unknown substance from the vehicle and appeared to make turns to intentionally return to run over the box. Pointer said he became the number two vehicle in the chase with Kile in the lead when the pursuit turned onto Luke Smith Road.
The officer said the pursuit continued back to R.L. Wheeler Road, where the driver attempted to strike several patrol vehicles. The driver turned onto the wrong lane of the road and made a left on Princess Ann Drive, where JCSO Sgt. Robert Land attempted to cut her off by coming in the other direction on Joycliff Road.
He said Pennamon then advised that the vehicle was wrecked, and the driver had fled on foot.
Pointer said Georgia Department of Corrections tracking dogs arrived on the scene and were able to find the driver, who was identified as Aiello, and took her into custody. He said JCSO Deputy Matthew Dennis inventoried the vehicle.
The officer said he secured warrants against Aiello, including aggressive driving, reaching the speeds of 110 mph in a 55-mph zone.
