A Carter County man arrested last week in connection with a string of auto burglaries now faces additional charges as more details emerge about thefts.
Deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jeremy Sanderlin, of 197 Browns Branch Road, Hampton, on Wednesday and charged him with burglary, theft of property, assault on an officer, and resisting arrest. On Friday, deputies served two additional warrants on Sanderlin charging him with an additional two counts of burglary and two counts of theft of property. Deputies also served a warrant on Sanderlin charging him with violation of probation.
In a statement released on Thursday, Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford said investigators with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 197 Browns Branch Road, Hampton, on Wednesday following an investigation into “multiple auto burglaries in the Rittertown Road area” between Jan. 24 and Jan. 31.
According to court documents, a woman went to the Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday to report suspicious behavior by Sanderlin.
“She said on the night of Jan. 29, 2017, Sanderlin came in with an Elizabethton Cyclones bag full of clothing. He said that his aunt had bought them for him,” CCSO Investigator Travis Ludlow said. “She said that recently Jeremy would leave every night, and the next day items that she did not recognize would be in the house.”
Officers then obtained and executed the search warrant on Sanderlin’s home and, according to court documents, located items reported stolen during three separate auto burglaries.
Officers placed Sanderlin under arrest, and while escorting him to a waiting police cruiser, CCSO Investigator Nick Andes said Sanderlin became “very agitated” and screamed and cursed at officers.
“Inv. (Penny) Garland came outside shortly after and advised that most of the clothes Mr. Sanderlin was wearing were reported stolen and that she wanted his shoes before he left,” Andes said, adding Garland gave him another pair of shoes for Sanderlin to wear. “I then advised Mr. Sanderlin that it was believed his shoes were stolen and that I needed them for evidence.”
“Mr. Sanderlin became very upset and began yelling, cursing, and thrashing around. I advised Mr. Sanderlin to compose himself and comply with my orders,” Andes added. “Mr. Sanderlin refused and began kicking me. I then grabbed Mr. Sanderlin’s legs to stop the kicking when he pulled his legs in, pulling my head directly into the door frame. This caused a laceration to my eyebrow, and it began to bleed profusely.”
Deputies were able to regain control of Sanderlin and transported him to the Sheriff’s Office to be interviewed by investigators.
Investigators photographed the injury to Andes’ face, and he then sought treatment for the injury from the medical staff at the Carter County Detention Center.
CCSO Lt. Tim Horne said he read Sanderlin his Miranda rights and Sanderlin agreed to speak to him about the stolen property found at his home. Horne said during the interview Sanderlin confessed to stealing the items recovered at his home.
On Friday, Sanderlin appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court for arraignment, but Judge Keith Bowers reset the case for Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Also on Friday, Criminal Court Judge Lisa Rice signed a warrant charging Sanderlin with violation of probation. According to court documents, on April 8, 2015, Sanderlin was convicted of phone harassment, six counts of auto burglary, five counts of theft of property under $500, and one count of theft of property over $1,000 in Carter County Criminal Court. He was sentenced to 10 years but was granted probation in the case, with his probationary sentence set to expire in April of 2025.
In the warrant charging Sanderlin with violation of probation, the court notes Sanderlin’s new arrest on charges of burglary, theft, assault on an officer, and resisting arrest as the basis for the violation.
Sanderlin’s bond on the theft, burglary, assault and resisting arrest charges is set at a total bond of $29,500, but Rice ordered Sanderlin held without bond on the violation of probation charge.