Suspect Lured from Hiding with a Sandwich

HENRY COUNTY — A Whitlock man who had been on the lam for 48 hours was caught by Henry County Sheriff deputies—after it was found he'd been hiding under his house off and on all along.
 
Sam R. Reeves, 32, 750 Hartsfield Rd., was arrested Friday afternoon at his residence and charged with resisting arrest, manufacture of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or delivery and possession of drug paraphernalia and child abuse or endangerment.
 
Metro Crime Unit officers on Wednesday Jan. 9 uncovered a sophisticated hydroponic marijuana-growing operation, drugs, guns, and stolen motorcycles and car parts at the residence. They arrested Kelly D. Quackenbush, 37, at the residence, but Reeves was able to evade capture. He returned to the house and grabbed his 18-month-old son, who was in the care of a friend, and fled.

During the raid, officers entered the home and found the marijuana, growing operation, stolen items, Quacksanbush and the child. The hydroponics operation was in the spare bedroom, and drugs or drug paraphernalia were found in the attic and the child’s bedroom closet.

        
               Drugs, drug paraphernalia, and stolen items were recovered from the
               Hartsfield Road residence.

Investigator Scott Wyrick, who is the team leader for the Metro Crime Unit, said the drugs were easily accessible to the child, leading to charges of child endangerment. The Tennessee Department of Children’s Service is involved in the case, said Wyrick.

Recovered were two off-road motorcycles, believed stolen from Kentucky; two cutting saws, which were used to cut down stolen vehicles; processed marijuana; a rifle, which is believed to be stolen; reflective mylar, food storage bags, growing pots, fertilizer, and hydrometers used in the growing operation.

It was earlier reported by the sheriff's department that Reeves was on the lam with the child, but as it turned out, Reeves reportedly dropped the baby off at the child's grandparents' home a short while after the police raid.
 
After the raid at his home, Reeves had been spotted several times. An informant told deputies that Reeves' home was outfitted with a trap door and that he had been hiding underneath the house. From there, Reeves was able to run to the woods and hide and return after officers left.
 
Deputies were finally able to catch him when Reeves called an officer from his home a few minutes after deputies left and asked for a sandwich and cigarettes.
 
Cpl. Milton Webb and Deputy Rodney Littleton hid in a van while the goods were delivered to him, with other officers hiding along the road as backup. Driving the van was a person enlisted for the purpose.
 
From his hiding spot in the woods and dressed in camouflage, Reeves came out of the woods and got in the van to retrieve the sandwich. Webb and Littleton jumped out and told Reeves to freeze. Reeves again tried to flee and was tasered by Webb and handcuffed.
 
Reeves is being held at the Henry County Jail on $100,000 bond and is scheduled appear today in County General Sessions Court.

Henry County Sheriff Monte Belew said it’s “another successful operation of the Metro Crime Unit.”

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