About 24 hours after a man took a pickup truck for a test drive and did not return Bradley County Sheriff’s deputies had the truck and a suspect.

Acting on information from a concerned citizen, patrol deputies and detectives went to an address on White Road on Thursday and found Gavin Woodall II taking parts off of the vehicle. 

Gavin Woodall

A check of the license tag confirmed it was the one stolen from B and C Auto Sales on Wildwood Avenue. The tailgate, bed liner, and a tool box had been removed.

After questioning, Woodall, 18, of Thompson Springs Road, was charged with theft over $1,000.

The owner of the vehicle was contacted and took possession of the vehicle.

Patrol deputies at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office took a suspect into custody during an investigation into attempts to enter two homes Thursday morning.

Jimmy E. Spears Caught In The Act

The first call came in from 241 Bell Road. The homeowners returned to find a vehicle parked in the driveway with the engine running and driver’s door open. A man walked from behind the house and told the couple he was looking for a friend. He got into the vehicle and left.

Upon investigation, they found fresh pry marks on a rear door. Sheriff’s deputies saturated the area looking for a Ford Ranger pickup truck the suspect was driving.

Not far away, Deputy Daniel Jones saw the vehicle at a house on Pinecrest Drive. But before Jones could turn his vehicle around the truck sped away. As Jones attempted to catch up the truck pulled back into the driveway at 241 Bell Road.

Jimmy E. Spears, 19, of Sweetwater, was arrested.

At the home on Pinecrest Drive deputies found pry marks on a door and they recovered a screwdriver nearby.

Spears is charged with attempted aggravated burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of a schedule two drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of vandalism, and two counts of criminal trespass.

Other patrol officers responding were Deputies Zech Pike, Casey Kerr and Sgt.Cheryl Holloway.

The bi-weekly radio show featuring Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble is approaching its first anniversary of broadcasting over WBAC. "Ask the Sheriff with Your Host Bob Gault" had its first airing on January 27, 2007 on the AM station.

Gobble conceived the idea of a radio show as part of his quest for an open administration that keeps citizens informed about the department’s activities. Guests primarily come from within the sheriff’s office but several people in the community have participated.

Bob Gault, Public Information Officer for the Sheriff’s Office, who brings thirty-three years of broadcasting experience to the show, hosts broadcasts.

Recently the broadcasting company expanded the show’s coverage into several adjacent counties with an additional airing of the program on Tennessee 93.9 WAYA FM.

Staying on the cutting edge of technology Gobble added video, commonly known as podcasts, to the department’s web site to enhance contact with the public. Each segment of BCSOtv spotlights a different aspect of the sheriff’s office and new ones are added daily.

They give Gobble the flexibility of taking viewers to the subject matter, adding an aspect to the story that is not possible on radio. Each segment is a separate production, generally lasting 1 to 3 minutes.

The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office has added Glenn Wallace Swafford to its list of the "10 Most Wanted" fugitives. He fills the spot formerly held by DeDe Nicole Neely, who surrendered on January 13th at the Judicial Center.

Swafford is wanted for not appearing in court on felony charges.

He was on the fugitive list last year but was removed after he was arrested in early October. Swafford was released by a judge’s order prior to new charges being issued in November for failing to attend a hearing. He is the first fugitive to be on the top 10 more than once.

Swafford is 40 years old, six feet tall, and weighs between 200 and 250 pounds. He has blue eyes and blond hair.

If you know the whereabouts of Glenn W. Swafford contact law enforcement. Or you can contact the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office at 728-7336.

To view a photo of Swafford, click the Top 10 link above.