A 19-year-old defendant is on his way to serve five years in prison due to his persistent car thefts and fleeing from law enforcement.
Neremiah Terrell Johnson was in Jones County Superior Court Feb. 28 to enter a guilty plea for offenses of fleeing from police officers and theft by taking. He received a total sentence of 10 years with the first five years to be served in confinement.
He is to receive credit for time served in custody from his Nov. 28, 2023, arrest.
Johnson’s probation balance for a previous charge was also revoked to the state penal system.
That sentence has an end date of Jan. 22, 2028.
Johnson’s most recent arrest was Nov. 28, 2023. He was also arrested Jan. 27, 2023, for auto theft, following a highspeed pursuit by officers that ended in a foot chase.
A report of Johnson’s Nov. 28 arrest by Jones County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matthew Dennis, one of the officers involved in both arrests, stated he was advised of the theft of an auto from a convenience store in Gray at noon.
He was given a description of the stolen vehicle as a blue Taurus without a rear bumper. Dennis said he turned on Gray Highway and observed a blue vehicle missing a rear bumper and turned behind it.
He said as he approached the car, it increased its speed and started changing lanes rapidly.
The deputy said the vehicle was a Hyundai Elantra, and the driver fit the description of the offender. He said he activated his siren and notified dispatch of the pursuit when the vehicle did not stop.
Dennis said the vehicle nearly struck a truck and turned on Old Macon Road. He said speeds increased to over 80 mph and continued until the roadway ended.
The deputy said the vehicle’s reverse lights came on and he thought it was going to turn around or try to hit his patrol car. The officer slowed to a stop and the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot into the woods.
Dennis said he gave chase, ordering the offender to stop, but he did not comply. He then notified dispatch to have a K-9 unit en route. The deputy said Lt. Wesley Ransom and other responding deputies and investigators arrived at the scene and established a perimeter on Gray Highway.
The driver was identified as Johnson. The chase involved several sightings of the offender, including a foot chase by JCSO Investigator Barron Hall that went toward Barker Road.
Dennis said he observed the chase into a pasture, and he brandished his patrol rifle in an attempt to get Johnson to stop.
The suspect continued to refuse.
The deputy said the chase ended when JCSO Sgt. Travis Walker arrived with the landowner to open the gate to the field.
At that time JSCO vehicles entered the field, and Johnson stopped running.
He was taken into custody without incident.
Dennis said Walker transported Johnson to the Jones County Law Enforcement Center, and he secured the warrants for the offender’s arrest.
GPD reports
A report of Gray Police Lt. Mitch Lovick stated he responded Nov. 28 to assist in the apprehension of the offender in a theft of a motor vehicle. He said he was en route to the location of the theft when he was advised deputies had made contact with the vehicle.
He said he joined other GPD officers and deputies in setting up a mobile perimeter of the area. Lovick said, as he approached the area of 1700 Graham Road, the offender ran in front of his patrol vehicle. The lieutenant said got out of his vehicle and gave chase but lost sight of him.
Lovick said he stood by to give trackers a fresh trail marking to continue.
GPD Officer Parker Jones was dispatched to the scene of the auto theft, which was a convenience store on West Clinton Street. Jones said he spoke to the owner of the vehicle who said she had parked at the front of the store and went in to pick up pizzas.
The victim saw the offender get in her car and ran out to confront him.
She told Jones she was hanging onto the door of her car when he drove off.
The officer said he watched the video footage that showed the offender, who the victim identified as Johnson from a photo.
Jones secured warrants for Johnson’s arrest for felony theft by taking and felony damage to property in the first degree.
Jan. 27, 2023, arrest
The January auto theft also occurred at a convenience store in Gray. GPD Capt. Eric Maynard’s report stated the victim said she parked in front of the store and her vehicle was gone when she came out.
A store video showed Johnson taking the SUV. A ‘be on the lookout’ report was broadcast, and the vehicle was spotted by Monroe County deputies.
The officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver did not stop. The chase continued back into Jones County, where Hall and Sgt. Kasey Carr attempted to box in the vehicle.
The SUV went through a stop sign at Round Oak Juliette Road and into the woods, due to the high rate of speed it was traveling.
A Facebook post by Jones County Sheriff Butch Reece described what happened next.
“The driver of the vehicle wasn’t quite finished yet, and he continued to run on foot into the woods. A Department of Corrections K9 Unit arrived to assist and located Neremiah Terrell Johnson of Gray hiding in the woods, where he was taken into custody without further incident.
Thanks to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Corrections for all their help and hard work. Once again, teamwork makes the dream work.”
