SUPERIOR COURT
The removal of signs during a bike race that traveled through Jones County in June resulted in 12 months on probation for the offender.
Jonathan Lee Hall entered a guilty plea Aug. 18 in Jones County Superior Court to the charge of misdemeanor theft by taking. The second charge of reckless conduct was dismissed as part of plea negotiations.
Hall was arrested June 26 on the charges, following an investigation of the theft that was reported by volunteers with the Chainbuster racing association. Chainbuster is a mountain bike racing team based in Athens that holds bike racing events across the state.
The report of the arrest by Deputy John Edward Kile stated that he responded to the intersection of Hadaway Road and Flat Shoals Road in reference to the race that was going on with more than 100 participants.
Kile said he spoke with two volunteers at the intersection who had taken pictures of the truck seen leaving the areas where the signs were missing. He said the tag on the truck came back to Hall.
The deputy made contact with the suspect at his residence, but Hall denied any involvement in the thefts. Kile said he asked to look in the back of the truck and observed several black 3-5 feet long pickets with silver spikes at the bottom.
Hall told the deputy he used the pickets for temporary horse fencing. The deputy said he took a picture of the pickets in the back of the suspect’s truck and left.
Kile contacted Sgt. William Jackson and Deputy Patrick Bloodworth. He said Jackson was able to confirm that the pickets in the picture he took matched the racing sign pickets. The deputy said he and Jackson returned to Hall’s property and placed him under arrest.
The deputy said the volunteers had also advised him that Hall was armed with a pistol, and he observed a black Smith and Wesson 40 caliber handgun on Hall’s hip under his shirt.
The signs and pickets were returned to the race volunteers.
