According to Manchester Assistant Police Chief Adam Floied, two people wanted in connection with a Covington, Georgia homicide/robbery were arrested Saturday in Manchester. Floied says, an alert clerk at a motel in Manchester had seen an alert issued out of Chattanooga about the murder and called 911. “The clerk saw them leaving and when he saw the license tag on the car he knew it was the one that Chattanooga had put out”.
Floied saw the 2002 Honda Accord and followed it to the Beech Grove area where he stopped the vehicle. He said that the pair were arrested without any problem. The incident in Covington, Georgia was in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart and was captured on surveillance video. The video shows a man walk up to Marsha Johnson, 65, in an attempt to grab her purse. During the struggle, she fell to the ground. The video, according Georgia authorities, shows the suspect get into Johnson’s car and drive over her several times, killing her. A witness was able to provide police with a description of the suspect for a sketch artist working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Floied identified the pair as Brandon Shawn Smith, 27 and Stephanie Marie Rodriguez, 37. They were held in the Coffee County Jail over the weekend and face extradition back to Georgia to face the robbery/murder charges.
Georgia officials told authorities here that Smith and Rodriguez, could be responsible for at least ten violent purse snatchings in North and South Carolina, Florida, Virginia and Georgia. According to Floied the car that the two were riding in was possibly stolen.

Monday afternoon at approximately 12:35pm, Manchester Fire and Rescue had a report of structure fire at the Park Hotel on Hwy 41. Once initial crews arrived on scene, they began attacking the fire. A call was made for off duty firefighters to report to scene, as the southwest end of the hotel was pretty well involved. An engine company was requested from Tullahoma Fire for back fill and additional manpower also. Once additional manpower arrived on scene, crews were able to more aggressively attack the fire containing it to the area where it began. Crews then performed overhaul and salvage operations to ensure the fire was completely out. Fire crews were completed with their tasks at the fire scene at approximately 4:20pm Monday afternoon.

Manchester Fire Chief George Chambers thanked those who assisted; Duck River Electric, Manchester Water Department, Manchester Police Department, Coffee County EMS and Coffee County EMA, Manchester Codes Department, the American Red Cross, Aarons Department Store, and of course the hard work and dedication of on and off duty Manchester firefighters and Tullahoma Fire department.
The American Red Cross was on the scene and provided assistance to the families that were displaced from the motel fire. The power to the building and water has been turned off until the incident can be investigated and repairs made.

Thieves are now looking beyond your wallet and personal information to your children’s. The Identity Theft Resource Center reports a 300 percent increase in calls about child identity theft in 2014. With the holidays around the corner and scammers working overtime, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Consumer Affairs Division is reminding folks about the potential risk to their children. The department’s spokesman Kevin Walters explains. “We want parents to understand that their kids are at risk just as well as the parents’ identity are at risk,” says Walters. “Scammers don’t discriminate based on age and we want parents to adopt some good habits in their everyday lives to help safeguard their children.” Walters says to avoid sharing your child’s Social Security number unless it is a trusted party, keep things like their birth certificate and school paperwork in a secure location, and don’t be afraid to ask people requesting personal information how it will be used. Warning signs of identity theft of a youngster can include your child receiving credit card applications or calls from credit agencies. Walters says it’s important to take quick action to avoid an impact on your child for years to come. “It can be a scary situation for everyone involved whenever identity theft occurs,” says Walters. “Your best course of action and parents’ best course of action is to notify law enforcement, notify credit agencies and notify your bank immediately.” Tennessee law also permits parents and legal guardians to enact a security freeze on children under 16 years of age. When the freeze is put into place, credit agencies cannot release a person’s credit report unless the freeze is specifically removed.

Jeremy Namer Dalton of Hillsboro was arrested by Coffee County authorities on Thursday Nov. 19 after he was found to be in possession of a methamphetamine lab and products used to produce the drug.
Dalton, 32, of 4435 Old Airport Road, Hillsboro was charged with reckless endangerment, tampering with or fabricating evidence, destruction of evidence and intent to manufacture methamphetamines.
According to a report by Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator James Sherrill, a search warrant was served at Dalton’s residence after they had received information of possible methamphetamine production.
When officers arrived at the residence, Sherrill went to a shed behind the house and saw Dalton inside moving around. He then saw a fire inside the building. The officer was unable to gain entry to the building as it was locked. After the fire started, Dalton came running out of the building and Sherrill arrested him. Deputy Brandon Reed had called for the Hillsboro Fire Department to extinguish the fire and to help secure the building. A garden hose was used to put the fire out before they arrived.
According to Sherrill’s report, cleanup equipment was needed due to the extreme fumes from where Dalton attempted to burn the lab. Also there were several propane tanks inside the building which could have exploded.
Once the cleanup equipment arrived, officers entered the shed and found a number of ingredients used to produce meth as well as digital scales and a hand held torch. They also found $120 in cash in the building which was determined to be counterfeit. They also found a 12 gauge shotgun, which was a violation since Dalton is a convicted felon. The gun was found under the mattress in the bedroom inside the residence.
Officers seized a flat screen television, $816 in cash, tools, a 1994 Chevrolet Tahoe and various other items used in the surveillance of his operation.
According to Sherrill, the investigation is continuing and other charges are pending.
Dalton was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $175,000 and is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Dec. 17.