Community complaints, teamwork lead to arrests
Published 7:00 am Saturday, September 12, 2020
Narcotics investigators with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department conducted arrests in relation to three cases within three consecutive days.
Narcotics investigators on patrol in the north end of the county were checking into complaints of alleged drug activity on Aug. 31, when they saw a vehicle being operated in a careless manner.
Sheriff David Allison said that during the stop, the investigators found 23-year-old Dale Renner of 2 Oak Tree Lane, Apt. C, Williamsport, Md., behind the wheel. While speaking with Renner, he mentioned that he recently moved to the Lumberton area. A check of his record on the National Crime Information Center didn’t turn up outstanding warrants, so Renner was given a verbal warning and sent on his way. However, an hour later dispatchers received a call from representatives out of West Virginia to report that an attempted murder warrant was just entered into the NCIC for Renner. Dispatchers in turn relayed that information to the investigators, who then went to a home on Wayne Stuart Road in Lumberton where Renner was staying and took him into custody for that warrant, Allison said.
The sheriff said Renner is being held in the county jail until extradition procedures send him to West Virginia.
The next day, investigators assisted the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department in locating 25-year-old Michelle Rodgers who was staying at 26 Pipeline Rd., Perkinston just near the Pearl River County and Hancock County line.
Inside the home, investigators found Rodgers who was taken into custody for two warrants for possession of methamphetamine being held by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. A search of the home located an amount of methamphetamine in the home, which is located within Pearl River County, leading Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department to place a hold on her until she faces the charges in Hancock County, Allison said.
On Sept. 2, investigators worked a third case that involved a search warrant being served at 393 Ceasar Road after they for the auto shop, home and vehicles. Allison said the warrant was obtained after a year long investigation of that location after receiving a number of community complaints of alleged drug activity, Allison said.
During the search, investigators found a distribution amount of amphetamines, dextroamphetamine, digital scales, and plastic bags commonly used to distribute controlled substances, leading to the arrest of 57-year-old Dewayne Mitchell for possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute, Allison said.
The sheriff said he would like to thank the community for their assistance in the investigations and for being patient while his investigators worked the investigation.