Van K-9 Officer Locates Three Fleeing Suspects

By Donna Limberger

Two people were arrested early Monday morning and a juvenile detained after fleeing from Van Zandt County Deputy John Neal.

According to a press release by the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, Neal had observed a maroon Chevrolet Suburban turning onto FM 316 off of FM 1256, making the turn without a signal. When he attempted to stop the vehicle, the vehicle began to flee near FM 3080.

He pursued the vehicle for almost twenty minutes through the southwestern part of the county and the northwestern part of Henderson County. The vehicle eventually ran through a barbed wire fence and became stuck in a pasture at Cedar Creek Farms on Peachtree Lane near Gun Barrel City.

Deputies from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and Officers from the Gun Barrel City, Seven Points, Eustace, Trinidad and Mabank Police Departments all assisted in the pursuit and manhunt.

Van Police Officer Clarence Layne and his K-9 partner Narco came to the scene and Narco successfully tracked and located the three suspects.

It was later discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen to the Plano Police Department.

Inside the vehicle a large amount of copper wire was found, along with the tool used to steal the wire.

Bricky Joe Anderson, 40, Kemp, and Sherry Jo Lawrence, 36, Mabank, were both arrested and charged with theft of wire or cable, evading arrest or detention using a vehicle and theft related to the stolen vehicle.

"This is a good job by all officers and agencies involved. We can be very successful when we all work together," said Van Zandt County Sheriff R.P. "Pat" Burnett.