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Wlaf1450Wrong place, wrong time for wanted fugitive
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Campbell County Sheriff’s Det. Sgt. Jackie Heatherly had perfect timing when he pulled into Big’s Git-n-Go Wednesday night about 7pm. He immediately noticed a woman whom he believed had an outstanding, and it was soon verified by Central Dispatch that she was wanted on a warrant out of Anderson County.
The wanted woman, Mara Ivey, got into a red Chevrolet Equinox. The Chevy began backing out, and the officer saw that the driver was Charles Owens, Jr., a man the officer knew was a wanted fugitive.
Owens drove the Equinox toward La Follette on General Stiner Highway, and then turned left onto Middlesboro Road at the TDOT Office. As Heatherly followed, he paced the red Chevy at 65 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone. Sirens and lights were activated, and Owens kept on rolling heading south on Davis Chapel Road.
The pursuit on Davis Chapel Road went past the Camp Ridge Road turnoff, and that’s where Owens allegedly passed a vehicle on the wrong side of the road. Owens continued disobeying Heatherly’s lights and sirens and turned back east onto Howard Road traveling for about a mile.
Owens then turned left into the driveway of a home where Ivey jumped out of the SUV, and CCSO Det.Sgt. Grant Cole detained her. The pursuit continued to the top of the driveway and ended as Owens bailed out. Owens ran into the woods with Heatherly on his heels. Owens then crossed Howard Road back into the woods and across a creek where the officer caught Owens and placed him under arrest, according to the arrest report.
Heatherly asked Owens why he was running. Owens allegedly stated that he had several outstanding warrants for his arrest, and that he did not want to go back to prison. Owens had active warrants out of Campbell, Claiborne Counties and La Follette.
Deputy James Skeans transported Owens to the Campbell County Jail.
Ivey was driven to the county jail by Deputy David Miracle, and while he was loading Ivey into the cruiser, he asked her if she had anything on her. Ivey allegedly stated that she had something stuffed inside her and would not say what it was, based on the arrest report.
Upon arrival to the jail, Ivey allegedly would not comply with the staff to go into the body scanner. While Heatherly was obtaining a body cavity search warrant, the jail staff had to administer 16 mg of Narcan to bring Ivey back to consciousness, according to the arrest report.
Ivey regained consciousness and became sick while at the jail. She was transported to the La Follette Medical Center by Campbell County EMS along with a body cavity search warrant. The LMC medical staff reportedly retrieved five individual baggies of a clear, crystal-like substance, believed to be Meth, along with a brown powder substance thought to be Heroin from Ivey’s lower torso.
Ivey was released from the hospital, and as Deputy Austin Tindell was escorting her to his cruiser, she allegedly pulled away from Tindell and spit in the face of Heatherly.
Owens, 31, of 130 Lake View Lane, La Follette, was charged with criminal responsibility for evading arrest in a motor vehicle, schedule II (Meth) possession/manufacture/sell/deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with evidence, driving with license-suspended/cancelled/revoked, reckless endangerment, failure to provide proof of insurance, failure to exercise due care and speeding.
Ivey, 34, of 548 South Sudenny Road, La Follette, is facing charges of schedule I possession with intent to deliver or sell, schedule II possession with intent/manufacture/deliver/sell, introduction of contraband into a penal facility and assault against first responder. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-09/12/2025-6AM-CCSO PHOTOS)