The complaint of a man stealing utilities from a utility company resulted in the arrests of three men wanted on outstanding warrants.
But the arrests didn’t come easy.
Laurel County Sheriff’s detectives and deputies responded to a complaint on Wednesday morning that a man was stealing utilities at a residence on Curry Road, approximately 12 miles east of London. But when utility officials approached him, the man was armed with a gun.
That prompted the call to law enforcement officials, with several detectives and deputies from the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office responding.
On arrival at the scene, investigating officers found three men — two of whom that fled the scene. During a short foot pursuit, one man identified as Dennis Burkhart, 47, of BW Lane in London, was taken into custody. That arrest, according to police, came after Burkhart struggled with deputies while reaching for a firearm on his right hip. Burkhart was determined to be a convicted felon.
The second man escaped officers but was apprehended later Wednesday afternoon after an unrelated complaint sent deputies back to the same area. That man was identified as Jody Roark, 43, of Garrad in Clay County. Police say he made another attempt to flee police but was taken into custody after another foot pursuit. Roark was being sought in relation to a May 30 robbery at East 80 Grocery. He was captured on the store’s surveillance camera forcing entry into the store, damaging it, and leaving with money stolen from the store.
The third man, who was taken into custody without incident at the Curry Road residence, was identified as Jonathan Wagers, 42, of Curry Road. He was found in possession of suspected methamphetamine and wanted on an outstanding warrant, as were the other two men.
All three were taken to the Laurel County Correctional Center.
Roark’s bond was set at $1,500 on a 2018 case with bond for the new charges listed as “pending” on the Laurel County Correctional Center’s website. He is charged with second-degree fleeing and evading police, on foot; warrant obtained by Deputy Brad Mink for third-degree burglary and first-degree criminal mischief; a Clay County warrant for failure to appear in court and a second Clay County warrant for failure to appear on charges of flagrant non-support.
Burkhart is held under $10,000 cash bond on charges of first-degree fleeing or evading police, on foot; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting arrest. He was additionally charged on a Clay County indictment warrant for theft by unlawful taking, first-degree fleeing or evading police, motor vehicle; and second-degree criminal trespassing. A Leslie County warrant served on Burkhart charges him with nonpayment of fines from a traffic offense. He also had an outstanding warrant in Laurel District Court for failure to appear on charges of numerous registration and insurance violations.
Wagers was placed under $5,000 cash bond on charges of first-degree possession of controlled substance (methamphetamine) and public intoxication of controlled substances. He was additionally charged with a Laurel District Court warrant for failure to appear in court on charges of public intoxication of controlled substances.
Detective Taylor McDaniel made the arrests of Burkhart and Wagers. Roark was arrested by Deputy Josh Velasco. Assisting in the investigation and arrests were Detectives Jake Miller and Robert Reed and Deputies Allen Turner, Brad Mink and Hunter Disney. K-9/Shift Sgt. Gary Mehler assisted in Roark’s arrest.