Hamilton County deputy finds stolen truck with license plate reader
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputy found a stolen truck with his automated license plate reader on Wednesday morning.
The HCSO said a deputy was patrolling the 7400 block of Bonny Oaks at around 1:30 a.m. At that time, his ALPR alerted him of a possibly stolen vehicle in front of him.
The deputy performed a traffic stop on the red Ford F-150 at the Waffle House parking lot on Lee Highway.
Dispatchers said the truck was stolen out of Whitfield County. The deputy then detained both the driver, William Hoard, and the passenger, Ashley Pedigo.
HCSO said Pedigo had an active warrant in Hamilton County.
The deputy booked him both into the Hamilton County Jail. Pedigo was booked on her existing warrant.
In addition, authorities searched Hoard at the jail and found a small wrapper in his mouth. Inside the wrapper was 1.6 grams of a crystal-like substance, which they believed to be methamphetamine.
The HCSO said they charged Hoard with the following:
- Theft of property
- Manufacture, deliver, sale or possession of meth
- Introduction of contraband in a penal institution
“Time and time again, the introduction of automatic license plate readers in our operations has proven to be a useful and beneficial tool for helping mitigate crime in Hamilton County. As your Sheriff, I will continue to lead the way in the use of innovative technology in order to deliver the highest level of law enforcement services throughout Hamilton County,” stated Sheriff Austin Garrett.
