Manhunt catches dangerous suspect

A manhunt on Wednesday, May 22, in the Wittenburg area ended with two suspects being caught quickly. The manhunt was in the area near NC 16, Wayside Church Road, and Chesterfield Acres.

That day, at approximately 12:00 p.m., officers with the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office spotted a vehicle traveling on Teague Town Road in the Wittenburg Community of Alexander County, said Sheriff Chris Bowman. The vehicle was driven by Marty Allen Teague. Teague was an individual wanted by the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Department of Probation and Parole. The officer activated his blue lights and siren, but Teague refused to stop the vehicle and turned onto Church Road.

A chase ensued onto Rink Dam Road and A.L. Fox Road. The chase continued from A.L. Fox Road to Crowson Road and then to Wayside Church Road, into the Chesterfield Acres housing development. Teague proceeded through a pasture fence into a pasture, where the vehicle became lodged in a ditch.

The vehicle was occupied by two people: Marty Allen Teague, the driver, and Heather Shea Jonas, the passenger, who is also Teague’s girlfriend. Both individuals exited the vehicle and ran from officers into a wooded area, where Jonas was taken into custody a short time later, at the end of Fox Valley Court.

A perimeter was set up around the area of the vehicle. At this time, several other agencies were notified to respond. Taylorsville Police Department, North Carolina Probation and Parole, North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers along with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopter, two North Carolina Department of Corrections K-9 units, Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, two Iredell County Sheriff’s Office K-9 units, Alexander County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Alexander County Emergency Management, and Alexander County EMS, along with additional officers from the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office came in to assist with the search.

Teague was located and taken into custody at approximately 1:45 p.m. on May 22. He was found hiding beside a log in a wooded area, less than a quarter mile from the vehicle. Teague was taken into custody without incident. Alexander County EMS was notified to come and check the well-being of both individuals. Teague and Jonas were both transported to the Alexander County Detention Center.

The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office received information that Teague would be armed with a pistol and that he would not go back to prison, when previous warrants were issued for Felony Motor Vehicle Theft and Felony Breaking and Entering and Larceny, along with a violation of probation. This information made it very important to contain the area and establish a perimeter to make sure that Teague was apprehended for the safety of the community.

Marty Allen Teague, W/M, age 40, of Taylorsville, was charged with Felony Motor Vehicle Theft, Felony Breaking and Entering, Felony Larceny after Breaking and Entering, Felony Flee to Elude Arrest, Misdemeanor Resisting Arrest, Felony Probation Violation, Failure to Appear, along with numerous traffic violations. He was placed under a $141,000 secured bond and given a first appearance date of Monday, June 3, 2019, in Alexander County District Court.

Heather Shea Jonas, W/F, age 36, of Taylorsville, was charged with Felony Obstruction of Justice, Misdemeanor Harboring a Fugitive, as well as a Catawba County child support warrant. She was placed under a $31,000 secured bond and was given a first appearance date of Monday, June 3, 2019, in Alexander County District Court.

Sheriff Bowman would like to thank all of the above agencies for their quick response and the assistance in the apprehension of the individuals. Bowman would also like to thank the citizens of the Wittenburg Community for their assistance in locking doors on residences and vehicles, as well as reporting suspicious individuals.

Alexander Co. Schools officials issued an advisory for Wittenburg Elementary, a Code In, then canceled the advisory after the suspect was caught.