Police: Driver hit house while fleeing in stolen car, passenger also jailed
A Lindale woman driving a stolen vehicle struck a house on Sunday while fleeing from Floyd County police, reports stated.
According to Floyd County Jail reports:
Jasmine Marie Gonzales, 20, fled from police at speeds of up to 101 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. She ran a stoplight and two stop signs. She also kept crossing the double yellow line as she drove and failed to use her turn signal when she turned onto East Hermitage Road.
The residents of the house she struck were not injured but she did cause over $500 in damage.
Gonzales was driving a stolen vehicle at the time of the incident and had spray painted it to look blue and black instead of its original silver color. She also swapped the tags with another vehicle to conceal the car’s identity.
Joseph William Wells Tapp, 27, helped her spray paint the car and was a passenger during the incident. Upon his arrest at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Highway and Washington Street, Tapp had a cigarillo filled with marijuana, a small bag of meth and a digital scale.
Gonzales is charged with felony theft by receiving stolen property, two counts of second degree criminal damage to property, possession of meth, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, reckless driving, two stop sign violations, speeding, failure to obey traffic signal, concealing identity of stolen vehicle and failure to signal turn.
Tapp is charged with felony theft by receiving stolen property, second degree criminal damage to property, possession of meth, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and drug-related objects.
Inmate faces additional battery
charge
A Floyd County Jail inmate is additionally charged with battery and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution after he and another inmate jumped a man and beat him for almost a minute straight, reports stated. According to jail reports: Toby Keith Johnson, 25, also had sprinkler heads in his possession from an incident several weeks ago where he and several other inmates destroyed the fire sprinklers.
The man who was attacked sustained swelling to his jaw and cheek and a scrape on the back of his neck.
Johnson is being held at the jail without bond for an incident back in August, when he was charged with false imprisonment, terroristic threats and battery.
2 catalytic converters
stolen from cars
Two more catalytic converters have been reported stolen in the city of Rome, this time from vehicles outside Ready or Not Inc. at 10 Commerce Circuit.
According to Rome Police Department reports:
Sometime between 10 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, someone came to the business and cut the catalytic converters from a 2002 Honda Passport and the business owner’s 2002 Lexus SUV.
The employee who reported the thefts said they have cameras outside the business and will be reviewing them to see if anything was caught on tape.
This is the latest in a series of catalytic converter thefts over the last few months. The car part is known for being made with precious metals such as palladium, platinum and rhodium to help turn toxic gases into less harmful fumes.
Anyone with information about the recent rash of catalytic converter thefts inside the city limits is asked to call 706-238-5111.
Backpack with handgun stolen at
bowling alley
Rome police are looking into a theft that took place at the Floyd Bowling and Amusement Center sometime between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Jan. 16.
According to Rome Police Department reports:
A woman realized her backpack was missing about a week after the incident occurred. The backpack contained a Victoria’s Secret bag and a black and pink Taurus 9mm handgun.
The owner of the bowling alley said he would look over security footage and see if anything comes up.
Police investigating reported shooting in
Garden Lakes
Rome police are looking for leads into a shooting on Garden Lakes Boulevard after a man was admitted to Floyd Medical Center with a gunshot wound, reports stated.
According to Rome Police Department reports:
The man was in the parking lot in front of the Cloud Shop when he heard a “pop.” He then looked down and saw that his arm was bleeding and realized he had been shot. While there was no one else in the parking lot, cars were driving by the shop. His friend then pulled up and took him to the hospital.
Report: Gun safe stolen from porch on
Eden Valley Road
A gun safe was reported missing after the owner moved it to the front porch while her floors were being redone, report stated.
According to Floyd County Police reports:
The owner moved the safe onto the front porch at 9 a.m. on Jan. 19. She had laid a tarp over it and a ratchet strap was placed around it.
When she returned to the residence with her kids, the green Remington safe was gone.
The items in the safe include a $2,000 Thompson rifle, two Red Ryder BB guns valued at $25 each, a single barrel 12 gauge shotgun valued at $200, Civil War bayonet valued at $400, three Civil War replica swords, a .410 handgun, a Ruger, a flintlock pistol, a John Wayne collector rifle valued at $2,500, a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm, a death certificate, a Colt Python .44 Magnum valued at $3,000 and a Kentucky musket muzzle loader. It also had several other firearms and miscellaneous items.
Man charged with meth possession
A 21-year-old man was being held with a $5,700 bond Monday after he was arrested at a motel on Martha Berry Boulevard on meth and drug-related object possession charges.
According to Floyd County Jail reports:
Justin Drew Crossan had a glass smoking device with meth residue when Rome police officers found him in a car at the motel. He also had a small baggie containing meth.
Report: Rome man had syringe containing
meth at motel
A Rome man was being held for the Chattooga County’s Sheriff’s Office after he was found with meth at a motel on Martha Berry Boulevard and arrested on a charge of failing to appear in court there, reports stated.
According to Floyd County Jail reports:
Christopher Dewayne Wiggins, 43, had a syringe containing suspected meth during a search incident.
He is additionally charged with possession of meth and drug-related objects.
Cartersville man charged with child molestation, sexual
battery
A Cartersville man remained in jail with no bond Monday after he was charged with two counts of felony sexual battery and two counts of felony child molestation.
According to Floyd County Jail reports:
William Herbert Wooten, 49, had sexual contact with a child under the age of 16 at a residence in Lindale on Sept. 25, 2020.
Report: Woman arrested on meth charge had counterfeit
$20
A Rome woman is charged with second degree forgery and meth possession after Floyd County sheriff’s deputies arrested her on a warrant stemming from a March 2020 incident.
According to Floyd County Jail reports:
Kimberlie Kay Edwards, 56, had a large quantity of methamphetamine during the execution of a search warrant back in March 2020. She also had a glass smoking device and a fake $20 dollar bill.
She is also charged with misdemeanor possession of drug-related objects possession and remained in jail with a $7,900 bond Monday.