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Mar. 30—A Lacey Spring man was arrested at a home Monday by Morgan County Sheriff's Office deputies after he drove out of a secure checkpoint and fled from law enforcement on foot Saturday, according to a deputy's affidavit.
Justin Paul Oakes, 30, remained in the Morgan County Jail Friday in lieu of $57,300 bond, and is charged with felony attempted eluding, reckless driving, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and several other traffic violations, jail records show.
Deputies stopped a Ford F-150 occupied by a man and woman who did not have driver's licenses at a secure checkpoint near the 3000 block of East Upper River Road in Somerville on Saturday, according to an affidavit signed by Deputy Tyler Pepper.
The couple were identified by their Social Security numbers as Oakes and Felicia Eddy, and had outstanding warrants, according to the affidavit.
“When Bieber was served with the warrants, dispatch said a robbery in progress at our location had been called on Eddie’s cell phone,” the affidavit said. “Pepper knew that Eddie was trying to get Pepper out of their attention so they wouldn't get caught.”
Deputies said they ordered Eddy to get out of the car while Oakes was told to get into the parking lot. As Bieber approached Oakes' car, Oakes heard dispatch say he had active warrants for his arrest, according to the affidavit.
“I'm not going to jail, I'm sorry,” Oakes said. He then “ran across the parking lot, jumped into a ditch” and nearly hit another deputy's patrol car and a bystander's car, according to the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, a sheriff's office sergeant chased Oakes while Bieber stayed with Eddy. After Eddie was transferred to the custody of another deputy, Pepper then joined the manhunt.
He caught up with the sergeant and Oakes' vehicle near the 400 block of Murphy Road, about 7 miles east of the checkpoint, according to the affidavit.
“Oaks fled on foot through the woods heading toward (Alabama) 36,” the affidavit said. “After a long period of searching the area, Oakes was not found.”
Deputies said they then called a tow truck to the scene and searched the F-150.
Bieber “found two clear bags between the middle seat (containing) a white, crystal-like substance,” according to the affidavit, as well as a “methamphetamine pipe.”
The crystal-like substance, which weighed more than 9 grams, tested positive for methamphetamine, the affidavit said.
Deputies said they later arrested Oakes at a home on Turtle Dove Drive in Lacey Spring on Monday. At the time of the arrest, both Oakes and Eddy were scheduled to stand trial in June in Cullman County on third-degree burglary charges.
No new charges have been filed against Eddy in connection with Saturday's chase, and jail records show she has not been booked into the Morgan County Jail, court records showed Friday.
Until last year, the maximum penalty for fleeing law enforcement in Alabama was a first-degree misdemeanor. Changes to state law in September made attempting to elude a class C felony if the offender, while fleeing, collides with another vehicle or pedestrian or causes bodily injury to any other person.
– david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.
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