Burglary case bound over to Grand Jury; Judge denies bond reduction request
Published 9:43 pm Friday, April 28, 2017
The case against a Carter County woman accused of breaking into a city home and then intentionally ramming the owner’s car when she fled the scene has been bound over to a Grand Jury.
On Friday morning, Stacy Hatley, 45, of 180 Little Ave., Elizabethton, appeared in General Sessions Court. Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department arrested Hatley on April 20 and charged her with aggravated burglary, driving on a revoked license, leaving the scene of an accident, theft of property, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Officers later additionally charged Hatley with aggravated assault in connection with the incident due her allegedly ramming her car into the homeowner’s car multiple times on purpose as she tried to get away from the house.
According to court documents, police officers responded to a home in the 200 block of West K Street shortly after 10 p.m. on April 20 on a report of a break-in in progress at the house. When officers arrived, the homeowner told them he was pulling into the driveway when he saw a vehicle in the driveway that did not belong to him or his girlfriend. He noticed a light on inside the house and then saw a female walk from the rear of the home.
“Witnesses stated that the female subject entered her vehicle in the driveway and began ramming the homeowner’s vehicle in attempts to leave,” said EPD Capt. Joy Shoun. “The female subject reportedly backed up several times until she was able to exit the driveway through the front yard and while entering the street, struck another vehicle at the residence.”
Officers later found the vehicle on a nearby street and Hatley was reportedly attempting to hide underneath the car.
According to Shoun, when Hatley spoke with officers she admitted she had been inside the home but denied taking anything from the residence. Officers reported they found a television inside Hatley’s vehicle that had been taken from the home.
On Friday, Hatley’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Dwayne Fortner, informed the court Hatley was waiving her right to a preliminary hearing in the case and was asking the matter be bound over to the Grand Jury. Fortner stated it was also his understanding that Hatley would be served with a violation of probation warrant out of Criminal Court before the day was out on Friday.
Fortner requested the court reduce Hatley’s bond from $11,000 to $5,000.
“We would oppose any bond reduction at this time,” said Assistant District Attorney Mark Hill. “Using a car as a weapon, that would be a violent felony.”
Hill also noted Hatley’s prior record as a factor to consider regarding a possible bond reduction.
Bowers said he did not “feel comfortable” reducing Hatley’s bond due to the seriousness of the offenses and the possible violation of probation warrant out of Criminal Court. Bowers left Hatley’s bond unchanged.
Hill requested the court issue a no contact order between Hatley and the alleged victims in the case. Bowers granted the request and ordered Hatley to have no contact of any kind with the victims.
Later in the day on Friday after her court appearance, deputies served Hatley with the warrant out of Criminal Court charging her with violation of probation. That warrant ordered her to be held without bond until she appears in Criminal Court.