IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. Local Charlotte News — A man and a woman from Davie County are facing multiple animal cruelty charges in Iredell County after a chase of a Ford Explorer ended in a field. One of the suspects also faces additional drug and evading arrest charges.
According to Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, two deputies were following up on a Crime Stoppers Tip at a location off of Bell Farm Road on Monday. As the two were turning onto Dogwood Estate Circle, one of the deputies observed a blue Ford Explorer traveling towards him driven by 38-year-old Justin Nathaniel Deaton, who he knew had active outstanding arrest warrants.
The deputy attempted to stop Deaton and as Deaton fled the scene, he nearly struck the other deputy’s patrol car. The deputies continued to follow Deaton south on Bell Farm Road. Deaton’s Explorer then made a right onto Salisbury Road, and continued straight onto Nabors Road, before running off the pavement at the end of the dead end road and into a large field, where the Explorer got stuck.
Deaton then got out of the Explorer and began running. One of the deputies deployed a K9 to give chase to Deaton, who was taken into custody a short time later.
After Deaton was placed into custody, the deputies provided care to a female passenger, identified as 51-year-old Peggy Sue Jenkins, who had sustained injuries when the vehicle got stuck. Iredell County EMS was called to the scene to provide treatment.
Deaton was taken to the Iredell County Detention Center where he was charged with felony flee to elude arrest, reckless driving to endanger, failure to stop at a stop sign, eight counts of misdemeanor abandonment of animals, cruelty to animals, felony conspire to traffic methamphetamine, felony probation violation, and driving while license revoked. Bond was set at $325,500.
Jenkins was charged with four counts of cruelty to animals and four counts of misdemeanor abandonment of animals. Bond was set at $4,500.
Additional details about the animals involved were not provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
