Published: August 04, 2009 07:45 am      

Man arrested after making gun threat

A McKee man was arrested last week after police say he pointed a loaded .38-caliber handgun at the resident of a home in Bradbury Pointe.

Police arrested 48-year-old Farris VanWinkle on Wednesday night after responding to a home in the 100 block of Bradbury Pointe, said Sgt. Willard Reardon, Richmond Police Department spokesman.

Reardon said officers responding to the scene saw VanWinkle pounding on the door of the residence.

When VanWinkle refused to comply with orders, Reardon said, he was taken into custody at gunpoint by officers.

The resident told police VanWinkle had pulled into a driveway near her home and then staggered into her yard, Reardon said.

When the woman asked VanWinkle to leave, he pointed a gun at her, Reardon said.

Police found a loaded .38-caliber revolver when searching VanWinkle after his arrest, Reardon said.

He was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a concealed deadly weapon and public intoxication. He was lodged in the Madison County Detention Center.

Stolen gun pawned

Police arrested a Hager Drive man for pawning a handgun he allegedly stole from a home he visited earlier the same day.

Lonnie Ray Hatfield Jr., 25, was arrested after police say he stole a .38-caliber handgun from an apartment in the 700 block of Marietha Drive on Friday and pawned it the same day.

The resident of the apartment told police Hatfield had been visiting the apartment early in the day and that she discovered the gun had been sold to a local pawn shop, Reardon said.

Hatfield was taken into custody at his home after police recovered the gun from the store.

Reardon said Hatfield was interviewed at the Madison County Detention Center, where he was lodged on charges of theft of a firearm by unlawful taking and theft by deception.

Robbery arrest

Police made an arrest Sunday in connection with a July 20 robbery at an apartment in the 900 block of Race Street.

Jeanene N. Underwood, 22, of N. Third Street, was arrested Sunday on a warrant for first-degree robbery for allegedly taking $500 at knifepoint from the resident of the Race Street apartment, Reardon said.

Police who responded to the scene of the robbery had recovered $100 from Underwood, but did not take her into custody.

The arrest warrant was sworn out July 23 following additional investigation, Reardon said. Underwood was arrested without incident at her residence.

Other crimes

• Police arrested an 18-year-old N. Madison Avenue man for possession of burglar’s tools Monday morning after he was seen walking away from several cars that had been broken into.

The cars were parked on W. Broadway, and the man was seen with a large screwdriver in his back pocket. After he was stopped, police found a wrench and spark plug in his pocket.

The man was lodged in the Madison County Detention Center. No items have been reported stolen from the cars, Reardon said.

• Veronica Crabtree, 22, of Jessica Circle, was arrested Saturday for allegedly passing a forged check in June.

A Berea couple reported to police that one of their checks had been stolen and cashed at a Richmond bank for $500. The signature on the check had been forged, Reardon said.

An investigation indicated Crabtree may have cashed the check on June 23. She was arrested following an interview Saturday at the Richmond Police Department and lodged in the Madison County Detention Center.

• A pair of thefts were reported from the construction companies renovating part of Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center.

Several companies reported on July 27 that tools and other equipment and supplies had been stolen over the weekend, Reardon said.

Reported missing were: a DeWalt 18-volt hammer drill; a Hitachi grinder; two 125-foot rolls of copper wiring; a DeWalt screw gun; a Porter Cable drill with battery and charger; a flashlight; a ratchet wrench; a Milwaukee Sawzall reciprocating saw; and a DeWalt power tool case containing a reciprocating saw, a drill, two batteries and a charger.

The items were valued at $1,241.

A Dixon Electric foreman reported Friday that two full rolls and a partial roll of copper wiring also were stolen overnight from the site, Reardon said. Those items were valued at $550.

• More than $3,600 in jewelry was reported stolen Sunday from a car parked outside a home in the 600 block of Leverton Place.

The owner told police that a marquis-cut 3/4 carat white gold diamond engagement ring, a white gold anniversary band with diamonds and a pair of brown sunglasses with a gold C on the side had been stolen from her car within the past day.

There were no signs of forced entry.

• A riding lawnmower was stolen from outside a business on the Eastern Bypass on Thursday.

Employees of Tractor Supply Company said a couple in their late 30s or early 40s were seen loading a red Yard Machine riding mower with a 38-inch deck into a silver or light blue Chevrolet pickup truck. The mower was valued at $800.

• The coin box was stolen overnight Thursday from a vending machine outside Super Save on S. Keeneland Drive, the owner reported Friday.

The lock had been destroyed to break into the machine. The total loss was valued at $850.

• A laptop computer and an MP3 player valued at $400 were reported stolen Friday from a room at the Best Western motel.

The owner told police the items had been stolen while he was out of the room at work during the day.

• A Motorola cell phone was reported stolen from a visitor to the emergency room at Pattie A. Clay on Sunday.

The woman told police she had put the phone on a table and walked away only to discover the phone was missing later.

The phone was valued at $100.

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Richmond Police Department at 623-1162 or 623-8911.

Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.