Stone County deputies responded to a residential burglary in progress along State Highway 14 East Sunday where they found the homeowner in the yard and a burglar with a flashlight looking out a window in the front room of the dwelling.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim told deputies a man, later identified as 34-year-old Jimmy Ray Lewis of Mountain View, had broken into his house and was still inside.
When Lewis was observed with the flashlight, he reportedly ran out the side door of the residence with items in his hand.
A deputy gave chase, ordering the suspect to stop and to get on the ground. Instead, Lewis reportedly jumped a fence, with the deputy chasing him. When Lewis ignored multiple warnings, the deputy deployed his Taser, causing the suspect to go down. However, he was able to pull the Taser prongs loose, return to his feet and continued to run.
The deputy eventually was able to catch up with Lewis, handcuff him and escort him to his patrol unit. At this point, Lewis allegedly made a spontaneous statement, saying, “He made me do it. I just took two hits of acid.” Lewis was reportedly wearing a blue bandana, black clothing and black gloves.
He was allegedly found in possession of a baggie containing a white crystalline substance field testing positive for methamphetamine. Other items were also found in his pocket, including a watch that reportedly came from the nightstand of the sleeping victim in the residence. A loaded .22 caliber rifle was found at the front door of the residence, with the victim stating it had been in a closet. Deputies also found a camouflage backpack with lights and burglary tools inside the residence on the floor near the gun.
The residence entered is next door to a second home owned by the same victim. Deputies found entry to the second home had been made through the front door with a pry tool. Entry to the home where the victim was sleeping was made through the side carport door with what appeared to be the same pry tool recovered in the camouflage backpack.
An outbuilding was also entered with the front door forced open. A shed had been vandalized and items tossed on the ground. Both residences were tossed and vandalized, appearing that the suspect(s) had spent a great deal of time inside.
Lewis has been convicted of over 36 felonies and is on parole. Most of the convictions involved theft and burglary.
In the most recent case, he is charged with two felony counts of residential burglary, as well as individual counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons, meaning he is a convicted felon, breaking or entering, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms. He also faces misdemeanor counts of fleeing and theft of property.
His bond was set at $50,000.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI