Suspect spotted driving stolen lawnmower down the road

ATHENS, Tennessee (WDEF) – McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy an angry crime victim along with the Facebook community helped catch a thief this week.

On Sunday night, a homeowner in Niota reported that she had found and confronted a man she caught with items stolen from her house on County Road 267.

She found a man riding on her lawnmower down the road.

She yanked him off the mower and found he was carrying her weedeater and gas can.

“The female homeowner pulled him off the mower and demanded he tell her his name,” said Sheriff Guy. “He gave a false name, but then pulled away and walked away from the scene. She also discovered her tractor wrecked in a ditch down the road. Then, a few minutes later, she said a blue car passed by with the suspect in the passenger’s seat.”

Detectives posted descriptions of the man on social media.

A tip helped them identify the suspect as 25-year old Christopher Hammonds of Athens.

He is charged with Burglary, Theft Over $100, and Theft Over $10,000, and a warrant for Violation of Probation.