POLICE The Vindicator • Thursday, March 28, 2013 • Page 3A
Raywood grocery robbery solved Betty Cheri Jeans, John Anthony Jackson and Taylor James Cantrell charged
Betty Cheri Jeans
Burns caught just steps away from AG Courtroom flee attempt Deputy had run out of handcuffs after arresting three in court By Carol Skewes, Publisher Tuesday morning, March 26, sirens were blaring and a few Liberty County Sheriff Deputy cars even drove on the sidewalks to get to the corner of Travis and Trinity in downtown Liberty. The excitement occurred when one young lady attempted to run away from Deputy A. W. Bowdoin following her hearing in the A. G. Courtroom. Sheriff Bobby Rader and many other deputies and
detectives raced to the scene. Sheriff Rader said, “We were just called to be here so we came right over.” Deputy Bowdoin went on foot pursuit and caught his arrestee, with the help of a private citizen. Bowdoin said, “She was under arrest for open warrants. She had just finished her hearing in court. I arrested her … and set her down. I didn’t have any handcuffs because I had already arrested three. I was
getting my handcuffs and she bolted out the door.” Nikki Lynn Burns was apprehended just outside the Pickett Law Office. Deputy Bowdoin added, “A citizen helped me.” Burns, 27 years of age, a Cleveland resident (Pct. 5),was not charged with evading arrest. She was arrested on five outstanding traffic warrants.
Taylor James Cantrell
Cavarretta convicted 3rd Degree Felony 10 years probation, $10,000 fine
Ken DeFoor, PIO, Liberty County Sheriff’s Dept.
it from his then estranged wife. Jimmy Belt, a Special Ranger with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, was investigating another tractor theft and discovered that Cavarretta had been inquiring in Uvalde about parts on a similar tractor. When questioned by Belt, Cavarretta admitted to having the stolen tractor and claimed to have paid $15,000 cash. When confronted with the fact the tractor was worth over $50,000, Cavarretta admitted he knew that something was wrong with the deal from the beginning.
Citizens prevent two thefts in two Days Citizens that were looking out for their neighborhoods helped prevent two residential thefts, two days in a row. In the first incident on Monday, March 18th, just after 11:30 a.m., an alert resident in the Spring Oaks subdivision of Tarkington noticed a young man and a dog on C.R. 2800. They were in front of a vacant house. When the resident looked over towards the vacant house a couple of minutes later, they noticed the dog was still there, but the man was missing. The resident called the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to report the suspicious circumstance. LCSO Deputy Josh Cummins arrived on scene and was joined by the Liberty County Precinct 5 and Precinct 6 Constables and their deputies. They searched the vacant home, but didn’t find anyone inside. But then they noticed some siding that appeared to have been disturbed. The lawmen subsequently found a suspect hiding under the house. That suspect was taken into custody without incident. In the second incident on Tuesday, March 19th, at 3:30 p.m., a granddaughter of Floyd Wheeler was driving past Mr. Wheeler’s property on C.R. 2293, near C.R. 2309 in Macedonia. She observed a truck on the property that she didn’t recognize. She called Mr. Wheeler who confirmed no one was supposed to be on the property. She then contacted LCSO to report the suspicious vehicle. A Corporal from LCSO’s Civil Division was nearby and was able to stop the suspicious
truck a short distance from the property after it had left the scene. The Corporal was immediately assisted on the stop, again by Liberty County Pct. 5 and Pct. 6 Constables Offices. There was stolen property found in the truck. LCSO Captain Mark Ellington led the further investigation. The suspect was taken into custody without incident. In the first incident on C.R. 2800, Jesse Ray Rogers, 19, was booked-in to the Liberty County Jail for Evading Detention, a Class B Misdemeanor. Bond was set by Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Stephen Hebert at $5000. The case remains open as investigators still need to contact the owner of the home to see if further charges are warranted. In the second incident on C.R. 2293, James Ramsey, 25, was booked-in to the County Jail for Theft of Property, a Class B Misdemeanor. Bond was set by Justice of the Peace Hebert at $2,000. Sheriff Bobby Rader said on Wednesday, “One of my goals after being sworn-in was for the Sheriff’s Office to renew the working relationships with LCSO and the various Liberty County Constables Offices. In both of these incidents, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Precinct 5 and 6 Constables worked together to bring a swift resolution to crimes in progress.” The deputies on both scenes also noted that it was the residents paying attention to their neighborhoods, and calling in their suspicions, that prevented property owners from being victimized.
following day, abandoned, on CR 117. Gathering evidence that placed these three persons at the scene of the robbery, Sgt. Dagle, Liberty County Sheriff’s Department, contacted them and each surrendered at the sheriff’s office. Jeans and Jackson have a $50,000 bond placed on them and a $125,000 bond placed on Cantrell. All three are presently in the Liberty County jail.
John Anthony Jackson
Life Flight transports Fidel Andrade to Memorial Herman
By D.A. Logan Pickett Isadore Cavarretta, 60, of Tarkington, was convicted of third degree felony theft on March 21, 2013 and sentenced to 10 years probation and a $10,000 fine by a Liberty County jury. The evidence showed that Cavarretta purchased a near mint condition tractor from two men he had never met before. The men contacted the defendant and delivered the tractor, which still had plastic covering the seat, to Cavarretta’s home in Tarkington. Cavarretta testified that he stored the tractor in a neighbor’s barn in an apparent attempt to hide
Charged with aggravated robbery are Betty Cheri Jeans, 18 of Batson, John Anthony Jackson, 26 of Tarkington and Taylor James Cantrell, 21 of Batson, after Sgt. Investigator Kenny Dagle, assisted by Special Ranger Jimmy Belt, investigated the armed robbery of the Raywood grocery store located at FM 1609 and FM 770, Feb. 24, 2013. An unknown amount of cash was taken along with a white Dodge van that was recovered the
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Department responded at 7:27 a.m., March 24 to a call on FM 1409 and CR 440 regarding a man who had reportedly stabbed himself in the chest after jumping in front of two vehicles, both of which avoided hitting him. Deputy Robert Dunn and Deputy Michelle Giaquinto reported that Fidel Andrade, a sixty year old man, who lives in the CR 440 area, had jumped in front of a south bound vehicle driven by a Dayton resident who narrowly avoided missing Andrade. The man then jumped in front of a north bound vehicle driven by a Dayton resident but this vehicle stopped short of Fidel Andrade who then fell in front of the second vehicle. As both drivers rushed to see if the man was injured, Fidel Andrade began stabbing himself in the chest with a steak knife. The deputies found the knife in Andrade’s chest and suffering from two other knife wounds to the neck area. Life Flight transported Fidel Andrade to Memorial Hermann in critical condition. Deputies interviewed Andrade’s brother, who spoke in broken English, who reported that his brother had no medical issues. An attempt was made to interview Mr. Andrade’s wife but she spoke no English. The investigation is continuing by the Sheriff’s Department.
Wedding sky lanterns cause excitement in Daisetta At a Raywood wedding the fifty plus sky lanterns released at the reception caused reports of red fire balls in the sky, traveling in a Southwest direction from Daisetta, at 8:27 p.m., March 23. Two deputies who responded to the call observed four orange colored lights traveling at an estimated altitude of approximately 3000 feet. At least a dozen people observed the same lights. Utilizing a spotting scope, the deputies stated that the lights appeared to be balloons with a fire located beneath them simi-
lar to a hot air balloon without a gondola. The Liberty County Sheriff’s Department contacted various agencies about the balloons, but no information was obtained until the following day when the wedding reception organizer called the sheriff’s office. The sky lanterns are thin paper devises, approximately three (3) feet in height with a 3” x 4” piece of fuel treated card board suspended by wire in the opening of the balloon, that when lit it, the flame heats the air providing a “lift” for the balloon.