Published: November 06, 2009 11:05 am      

11/6 Local briefs

Corrections officer arrested, fired



Jimmy Doyle O’Dell, a former Johnson County Law Enforcement Center corrections officer, has been arrested and booked into JCLEC of charges of prohibited substance in a corrections faciulity, a third-degree felony.

O’Dell’s employment has been terminated, Sheriff Bob Alford said.

According to a press release issued Thursday, Alford said that on Monday investigators were notified by staff at JCLEC that they had received information implicating one of the correctional officers, who was allegedly bringing contraband into the jail.

This information was obtained, according to the release, after JCLEC personnel conducted a search of a housing area and located tattoo guns, tobacco and cigarette lighters.

The investigation determined that O’Dell, 52, had delivered tobacco to an inmate incarcerated in the jail in return for narcotics, according to the release. O’Dell was arrested and booked into JCLEC. Bail was set at $75,000.

— Pete Kendall



Three men arrested for fuel tank theft



Officers arrested three Cleburne men on Oct. 29 after the reported theft of a fuel storage tank, said Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford.

JCSO received a report of the theft from a well site on County Road 510 north of Venus in the early morning hours of Oct. 29, Alford said.

The person reporting the incident gave the JCSO communications officer a description of the vehicle including the license plate number, Alford said.

A short time later, Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Casey Jones located and stopped the suspect vehicle.

JCSO deputies arrived on scene and determined that the fuel tank loaded on the suspect’s trailer was the one reported stolen.

Officers arrested Vincente Marquez, 33: Guerrero Ramirez, 21; and Jose Izagueirre, 21, and transported them to the JCSO.

Information obtained led sheriff’s deputies to a residence in Cleburne where three more fuel tanks, also believed to be stolen, were located, Alford said. Investigators also found a 12 foot Wells Cargo trailer reported stolen in Fort Worth in 2002, Alford said.

Investigation into the matter continues, Alford said, with other people possibly involved.

All three men have been charged with theft $1,500 to $20,0000. Ramirez and Marquez have since been released on a $5,000 bond. Izagueirre remains in custody on an INS hold, Alford said.

­— Special to the Times-Review



Genealogical Society to hold year-end meeting



The Johnson County Genealogical Society will meet from 6:30-8:15 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Cleburne Library at 302 W. Henderson for its last meeting of the year.

Clois Richardson, a resident of the Fort Worth area for many years, will speak. Richardson is a retired accountant and real estate broker and active as a genealogical researcher for 20 years.

“I currently maintain a data base of 10,500 family members. I have been active in DNA research for several years, and I am now a director of the Fort Worth Genealogical Society and I am now in charge of their computer users group.”

The program will be about the genealogy software program, Family Tree Maker. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 817-645-4717.

­— Special to the Times-Review



Sheriff seeking info on well site thefts



The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous reports of thefts at gas well sites throughout Johnson County, Sheriff Bob Alford said.

Suspects have been targeting solar panels and copper wire at the sites, Alford said. The solar panels are likely re-sold for various uses while the copper wire is sold as scrap, he said.

JCSO released recent photos taken from cameras at a well site near Cleburne showing two individuals in the process of stealing solar panels. Based on the photos, the suspects were driving a dark-colored Ford F-150 pickup.

JCSO released the photos in the hope that someone may recognize either of both of the people. Anyone with information is urged to call JCSO at 817-556-6058 or 817-556-6060.

County residents are also asked to report any suspicious activity they see around well sites.

“In the event you should see something you consider suspicious, do not approach the suspects,” Alford said. “After you call the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, document any information you can through observation. Document a good suspect description, a good vehicle description. Document the date, time and location of the activity.”

­— Special to the Times-Review



Burglars hit several cities in county



A juvenile suspect was taken into custody in connection with a burglary of a habitation on Davis Court in Rio Vista on Oct. 29, according to Johnson County Sheriff’s Office reports.

The subject allegedly broke into the residence and took a black coin purse containing coins and several bills.

Officers were also investigating four other burglaries over the last week. On Monday on Shadow Valley in Burleson, someone took a complainant’s laptop computer from a garage.

On Oct. 29, on County Road 801 in Joshua, an unknown person entered a barn without permission and removed saddles and tack worth about $1,200.

On Oct. 29, on County Road 10A in Joshua, someone broke into the complainant’s house and took numerous kitchen and clothing items.

On Oct. 27, on County Road 604 in Alvarado, someone entered building and removed items, including one large desk, one small desk, a fax machine, shelves, binds and a file cabinet of unknown value.

— Pete Kendall



Cleburne map ads not endorsed by chamber



Several companies have apparently been attempting to sell ads in the area with some of the companies claiming that the Cleburne Chamber of Commerce has endorsed their map, said Cathy Marchel, chamber president.

Those claims are untrue, Marchel said.

“The official Cleburne map is endorsed only by Community Matters, which were in Cleburne selling [ads for] the official Cleburne map in July and August,” Marchel said. “We do not endorse any other map companies that are selling ads for a Cleburne map.”

Marchel said she is proofing the official map and estimated that it will be available for distribution this month or by December at the latest.

“We will have 300,000 copies of the map printed and give them to anyone who would like to have them at no charge,” Marchel said. “We will notify everyone when they arrive.”

For questions on the map, contact the Cleburne Chamber of Commerce at 817-645-2455.

­— Special to the Times-Review