Catoosa County man arrested on kidnapping and theft charges, found hiding in bathroom
A Catoosa County man wanted for allegedly kidnapping and beating up his girlfriend in August was arrested Monday when deputies found him hiding in a bathroom.
According to the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department:
Shannon Jacob Ray, 30, of Bowman Road in Ringgold was arrested Oct. 3, on charges of false imprisonment, kidnapping, battery, theft, theft by receiving stolen property, and probation violation.
A hold was also placed on Ray for outstanding warrants out of Walker County, and he has been denied bond.
Ray’s run-in with police began just after midnight when deputies were patrolling near a residence on Graysville Road and discovered a stolen vehicle in the driveway.
The Honda Civic was had recently been reported stolen out of Chattanooga, Tenn., reports show.
Additional deputies arrived, but no one would answer the door of the residence.
After about half an hour, Lt. Anthony Lawson says, Karla Harris answered the door claiming to have no idea how the vehicle got to her residence.
“Ms. Harris stated she knew nothing about the vehicle and that someone had dropped the vehicle off earlier that day,” Lawson said. “She also stated that only her three children were inside the residence.”
Eventually, after being detained, Harris changed her story and admitted that Shannon Ray had come to the residence in the vehicle and that he too was inside the home.
After running Ray’s name, deputies discovered he had outstanding warrants in both Catoosa and Walker counties.
During a search of the residence, Ray was found hiding behind the curtain in a bathroom shower, reports show.
In addition to Ray’s arrest, Harris was also arrested on a single charge of theft by receiving stolen property.
Ray’s outstanding Catoosa County warrants stem from an incident on Aug. 16, in which he allegedly beat up his girlfriend while driving her car and then stole that vehicle too.
The victim claimed she and Ray were traveling on Roach Hollow Road and that he refused to let her out of the vehicle while striking her in the face and the back of the head, reports show.
The victim told deputies she was eventually able to jump out of the vehicle at a stop sign, but that Ray took off with her vehicle.
Ray returned the vehicle to the victim three days later on Aug. 19, reports show.