An alert about a stolen truck from Baldwin County ultimately resulted in two arrests for multiple charges following a chase through southern Jones County.
Travis Lamar Harrison, 34, of Fort Gaines, was arrested Oct. 2 and charged with felony theft by receiving stolen property, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, possession of firearm during the commission of a felony, criminal damage to property, obstruction of law enforcement officers, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, possession of MDMA and assorted traffic offenses that were committed during the chase.
Devon Carl Huguenin, 18, of Columbia S.C, was also arrested and charged with theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of MDMA.
A report of the arrests by Jones County Sheriff’s Deputy Ayla Morris stated she was traveling northbound on Highway 49 near Bowen Hill Road when she received a ‘be on the lookout’ alert for a stolen silver Dodge Ram truck with a Tennessee tag.
The deputy said the alert was out of Baldwin County, and the vehicle had alerted on a Flock camera in Jones County. She said she saw a vehicle matching the description, which accelerated when she approached.
Morris said the truck was headed southbound on Highway 49. When it did not stop at the traffic signal, she activated the lights and siren and began pursuit. The deputy continued pursuing the truck, keeping dispatch aware of their location.
She said the driver violated no-passing zones, forcing other vehicles from the roadway. When the truck made a sharp turn onto Garrison Road, gravel was thrown onto the windshield of the patrol vehicle, damaging the windshield.
The driver committed multiple traffic violations, noted by Morris, during the pursuit. Morris said officers attempted to stop the truck using spike strips at Chapman Road, but the driver was able to avoid the obstacle by making a sharp turn into the neighborhood. The truck was eventually forced onto a dead-end street.
The deputy said the driver continued through one of the driveways to the wood line, where he exited the vehicle and went into the woods. She said additional units arrived at the scene, and the passenger in the truck, Huguenin, was taken into custody.
Morris said she and another deputy went into the woods but were unable to locate the driver, who was identified as Harrison. She said the truck was inventoried, and a backpack was recovered on the rear driver’s side floorboard.
The deputy said the backpack contained a rifle with a 30-round magazine with 22 7.62 mm rounds of ammunition, a box of 40 mm Smith & Wesson ammunition, a misdemeanor amount of marijuana and seven suspected MDMA pills.
Morris said the items were secured, and the K9 tracking dog Jones arrived with his handler, JCSO Deputy Dan Ribeiro. She said the K9 located and pursued the scent, eventually leading officers to Harrison, who was taken into custody without further incident.
The arrests of Harrison and Huguenin were announced by Jones County Sheriff Butch Reece on Facebook.
“The pair will face many charges here in Jones County, including fleeing or attempting to elude, theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and possession of firearms during the commission of a felony,” he said.
Reece said both men are wanted out of South Carolina as well.
“Great job to all the deputies involved, especially Deputies Morris and Ribeiro, along with K9 Jones on his first arrest,” the sheriff added.
