Monthly Report for January 2019

Dear Citizens,

As a new year begins, I, my family and all of us here at the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office, would like to take this opportunity to extend our best wishes for a safe and prosperous New Year. We look forward to helping make 2019 a wonderful and safe year for all those in our community. Please be assured as your Sheriff that my commitment to the citizens remains strong and I will continue to work with you to improve the quality of life for the current and future residents of Navarro County. It is my hope that 2019 will be a year when those in our community will continue to extend a helping hand to their neighbors, coworkers, family, friends and strangers in need. It's an honor and real pleasure to say "thank you" to all those that have supported me. Myself and the men and women of the NCSO, continue to strive in making our county a safer place to live and raise our families. We appreciate you and we wish you a full year of happiness, health and success. Please contact my office if I, or any of my staff, can ever be of any assistance.

We would like to thank the many individuals and businesses throughout our county who brought food and deserts to the NCSO this holiday season or simply took the time to wish our officers Merry Christmas and let us know that you were thinking of us.

Again this year I am proud to announce that the NCSO participated in the annual Spirit of Christmas Food Box Giveaway. This year’s event was hosted by the Navarro County Food Pantry, Kiwanis Club, Brookshire’s, Super One Food Stores, local Churches and schools as well as many other donations being made by local individuals. We also want to thank Deputy Charles Paul for all of his assistance. Approximately twelve hundred boxes of food were given out to Navarro County families during this event. The Navarro County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team also helped to make the giveaway a great success by helping carry the food packages out to the families. Thank you to everyone, including the many volunteers, who participated and made this a huge success.

Santa’s helpers from the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office also delivered approximately 250 gift packages to the inmates at the Justice Center on Christmas Day. The gift packages were prepared and delivered by our local Salvation Army after being donated by an anonymous donor. With my approval, Detention Officers of the NCSO delivered the gift packages to every inmate within the facility so that they could experience the true meaning of Christmas.

The Navarro County Sheriff's Office held its annual holiday meal at the Justice Center. Our employees, various other county employees and guests were in attendance. A very special thank you to David A. and David B. Nyquist for donating the delicious BBQ, Bob Austin with 5 Star Correctional Services Inc. and the many NCSO employees who helped to prepare this year’s meal. I personally want to thank Darron Richardson, Becky Hatchel and Krystal McCollum for all their hard work in making the gathering a special event that was enjoyed by all.

With over nine years of dedicated service, Corporal Eddie Perry worked his last day this month for the NCSO. We want to wish Eddie all the very best on his new career as Navarro County Precinct 2 Commissioner. We would also like to recognize and say that we truly appreciate the loyalty he has shown in serving the citizens of Navarro County during his time with us.

Congratulations to Deputy Ismael Esparza who transferred on December 1st from the Detention Division to the Patrol Division. Mr. Esparza is our newest Patrol Deputy and is a US Army veteran who served in Afghanistan before coming to the NCSO and continues to serve our Country in the US Army Reserves. Deputy Esparza has now entered the 16-week Patrol FTO program and we wish him all the best in the training for his new position. We also congratulate Deputy Jose Martinez on graduating from the Navarro College Police Academy and he has already passed the State licensing exam. Deputy Martinez will now have his commission as a Deputy Sheriff proudly carried by the NCSO.

We are pleased to announce and introduce our newest members to the NCSO team:
Jose Ortiz (peace officer) Ignacio Esparza and Joshua Slater began their law enforcement careers as Detention Officers at the NCSO on December 1st. Antwan Ruth (peace officer) and Tanya Hassell, began their careers at the NCSO as Detention Officers on December 16th. Deputy Ruth comes to us after working ten years with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and is a graduate of the latest Navarro College Police Academy. We welcome you all and wish you all the best in your career. Deputy Sean Boggess promoted to Corporal in Detention and Linda Good transferred from the Detention Division to Administrate Assistant. Best of luck in your new positions.

SCAM ALERT: We have received numerous calls that someone is making random phone calls throughout the county identifying himself as Navarro County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brooks. The scammer states that unless a specific amount of money is wired immediately a warrant will be issued and the victim would be arrested. The phone number for the caller has been reported as 903-486-3315. THIS IS A SCAM. We DO NOT have a Detective Brooks and the number given IS NOT an NCSO number. Please do not become a victim of these scammers. Always call, verify and make sure to report any and all suspicious activity to your local law enforcement. The NCSO does not call to solicit money.

NCSO Patrol Captain Jeramy Phillips received a call from an alert Navarro County resident who reported a suspicious white colored Chrysler hatchback driving down several county roads in the area of NW 1390, 1400, 1342 and 1343. Captain Phillips, Deputy Matt Swindall and Sgt. Caleb Loftis responded to the area to attempt to locate the suspect vehicle. Captain Phillips observed a new looking amazon cardboard box in the middle of the road on NW 1390 and inside the box was an empty buck knife box with the shipping label removed. Captain Phillips later located a potential suspect at a residence in the area who admitted that he stole the package and the knife he took was in the house. The suspect volunteered to enter the residence to retrieve the stolen knife. Both the suspect and officers entered the residence where the suspect returned the knife to Captain Phillips and also advised that he had guns and was a convicted felon. The Deputies recovered a pistol and rifle at the location and the suspect was arrested and charged with felon in possession of firearm. The stolen knife was returned to the owner who advised he did not want to file charges since the package was returned and the suspect would be going to jail on the felony charges. This is a great example of our citizens partnering with law enforcement to provide a safer community and helping to keep our citizens as well as their property safe. Good job all.

On Wednesday 12/12/18 the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a possible human body being located in the ditch along SE 1190A near Richland. Detectives responded to the scene and observed a clothed, badly decomposed human body lying near the road which had been partially covered by vegetation. The detectives immediately began conducting a homicide investigation. The body was sent to American Forensics by Judge Connie Hickman for an autopsy to be performed. The preliminary results of the autopsy showed the unidentified victim to be an African American female possibly in her thirties who died as a result of homicidal violence with multiple gunshot wounds. During the course of the investigation, Detective Sergeant Brandon Bates located a social media site that possibly identified the victim as missing from Houston.

As the investigation continued, our detectives uncovered additional information and evidence that ultimately led to the positive identity of the victim Charine Marie Wilson (Charine Young) of Houston. After consulting with homicide investigators from Houston P.D. it was determined that the victim was last seen on 11/10/18 in Houston and that a welfare concern call to an apartment complex in their city on 11/12/18 led to a homicide investigation. According to news from the Houston Chronicle, “A Houston area mother is missing and police believe her estranged husband killed her, authorities said. Police say Johnny Leon Wilson, who is not in custody, has been charged with murder. Charine Wilson, 29, was last seen by her relatives on Nov. 10. On that day, her son was with her when she went to Wilson's apartment but police reported she never came out. Wilson left the apartment alone, got into his estranged wife's vehicle and drove her son to a fast food restaurant. There, Wilson dropped off the boy and left, police said. Her family reported her missing on Monday, November 12th, 2018." Anyone with information on this case or the whereabouts of Johnny Wilson is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. NCSO detectives were advised by Houston Police Department homicide detectives that they have issued an arrest warrant in this case for Mrs. Wilson’s estranged husband Johnny Leon Wilson charging him with her death. We continue to work with HPD detectives to bring closure to this case and bring justice to Mrs. Wilson and her family.

On Friday, December 7th about 9:30 am, the NCSO Narcotics Unit supported by our Patrol Division executed a narcotics search warrant in the 6000 block of NE 1040 Rice which is located in the Chatfield/Tupelo community. Approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine (ice), numerous different types of pills, marijuana and drug paraphernalia were seized. As a result, four suspects were arrested at the location and transported to the Justice Center where they face numerous narcotics charges. On Friday, December 14, 2018, Navarro County Sheriff's Office Narcotics detectives, acting on a Crime stoppers tip, attempted to serve an arrest warrant at an apartment in the 3300 block of West 7th Avenue in Corsicana. As a result of the investigation a search warrant was obtained to enter the location to serve the arrest warrant. Our Narcotics and Patrol Divisions were assisted by the Corsicana Police Department Narcotics unit in executing the search warrant. During the execution of the search warrant, the fugitive was located and arrested inside the apartment, where she also voluntarily surrendered methamphetamine and paraphernalia to the deputies. Two additional persons were also located inside the residence. Deputies then obtained a narcotics search warrant for the location based on probable cause and seized additional methamphetamine as a result of the narcotic search warrant. Two suspects were arrested at the location. One suspect is being charged with POCS PG 1 < 1g Drug Free Zone, two NCSO misdemeanor B warrants, and one misdemeanor B warrant out of the Corsicana Police Department. The second suspect was charged POCS PG 1 < 1g Drug Free Zone. The location is a drug free zone due to its proximity to Jose Antonio Navarro Elementary School. We would like to thank the Corsicana Police Department Narcotics unit for their assistance in this case.

The Sheriff's Office had approximately 2,929 calls for service in December and our Dispatch received 1,814 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. There were approximately 239 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 246 inmates. The Narcotics Unit arrested ten suspects, filed fourteen criminal cases and served six outstanding arrest warrants. Fifteen inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and thirteen other inmates were transferred to State Jail and SAFP Units to serve their sentences.

This month we estrayed 1 calf, and 6 horses and transported them to our county farm at Angus and Petty’s Chapel. We recovered $220 dollars in estray fees and sold 1 estray bull at Corsicana Livestock Auction for $254 dollars.

We had one resignation this month and we are currently accepting applications for vacancies in the detention division. As in the past, applications will continue to be taken for any vacancy until the position is filled.

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." -David Brinkley

As always, God bless and be safe,

Sheriff Elmer Tanner