An interesting morning for Carmi Police Tuesday. Officers with the department with cooperation from the White County Sheriff’s Department say they were arresting James Parker on a Department of Corrections warrant at 805 Shipley around 9:30am. Following that arrest, law enforcement was driving past Pundrakes and say they spotted a white Dodge Durango matching the description of a vehicle being sought after it was caught on surveillance during a theft in the county. Officers subsequently pulled that vehicle over. The driver, Melvin Lewis, Jr had a suspended license and was also wanted on a Wabash County warrant for Burglary and Criminal Damage to Property. Police say Lewis tried to flee, but he was quickly corralled and taken into custody. A passenger, Kelli Taylor of Olney was arrested on a Lawrence County warrant for Failure to Appear (Criminal Trespass to Land). An additional passenger, Allison Barbre was also placed under arrest. Lewis and Barbre are both facing charges of Possession of Meth, Hypodermic Needle, and Drug Paraphernalia as well as Unlawful Possession of Cannabis in a Motor Vehicle. Lewis also received a charge of Driving While License Suspended. Bond on his Burglary charge was set at $2,000 while bond on the rest of the charges is still to be set.
