ANDREWS
Man accused of sex abuse
Authorities arrested Andrews resident Devin Blane Jones on Sept. 12 following accusations of child sex abuse.
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Jones is charged with two counts of first-degree statutory sex offense and two counts of indecent liberties with a child. The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Andrews Police Department, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Cherokee County Department of Social Services and HAVEN Children’s Advocacy Center.
Jones is being held on a $500,000 secured bond.
COLLEGEDALE, Tenn.
Murphy man finally nabbed
A wanted felon was captured by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office after evading a Collegedale police officer and his K9 during a traffic stop, according to newschannel9.com.
On their first day of service, Officer Shell and his canine partner, Goose, attempted to stop a vehicle in the 9000 block of Lee Highway for a simple traffic violation. Police say that after Shell made contact with the driver, he sped away from the stop nearly causing several crashes as he drove onto Interstate 75 toward the Volkswagen exit.
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However, police say the driver refused to stop and was pursued until he reached a hotel located near Bonny Oaks Drive and Lee Highway. A short foot pursuit ended with the driver being apprehended and taken into custody.
Police say the driver, James Falvo of Murphy, N.C., had felony warrants out of Georgia for escape, evading police, obstruction of a law enforcement officer and theft. Falvo also had a Hamilton County warrant for assault and is wanted for questioning for an arson in Murphy, according to Collegedale police.
Falvo was booked for felony evading and transported to the Hamilton County Jail, where he awaits his court dates and extradition back to Georgia.
HIAWASSEE, Ga.
Shooting gets 30-year term
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Shooting survivor Crystal Matheson of Hayesville breathed an emotional sigh of relief in the courtroom of the Towns County Courthouse on Sept. 12, when a jury returned guilty verdicts against her estranged husband, Jason Matheson, who was on trial for attempting to murder her in January 2021.
Jurors spent a little over an hour deliberating before returning around 2 p.m. on the fifth day of the trial with guilty verdicts for the charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and aggravated stalking. Superior Court Senior Judge Albert Collier sentenced Jason Matheson, 43, to the maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, commenting how he couldn’t believe “we’re not sitting here trying a murder case” after Crystal survived being shot eight times.
In a pre-sentencing statement, Crystal thanked everyone who helped her realize justice in the case, including the doctors and nurses who saved her life and those involved in the prosecution, adding that she hoped she could forgive Jason some day for the crimes he had committed. As described in the trial, a potential motive for Jason Matheson’s actions was a proposed downward spiral he experienced after separating from his wife in July 2020, the summer before the shooting.
At the time, Matheson developed extreme jealousy allegedly based on instances of infidelity from a past marriage. His distrust culminated in an alleged assault that resulted in criminal charges and a separation from Crystal, who for the next six months repeatedly demonstrated her desire to make the separation permanent up to and including the day before the shooting.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Beware of prize scam
A local resident shared with the Cherokee Scout that a new scam appears to be making the rounds across the area. Everyone can learn from her experience.
“I received a call the other day that bothered me very much. This was different than the usual spam calls we experience,” the resident said. “We always check our caller ID and never answer anything we aren’t familiar with. The caller (thief) very rarely leaves a message.
“Well this thief group left a message about claiming winnings from Publishers Clearing House because we had once entered the contest. We never did. They said that we would need to provide our checking account info, including the routing number, which
they need to deposit the money.
“The caller ID showed ‘claims office’ with the number 805-702-8909. Definitely targeting the middle age and elderly. I don’t think many of the younger people are very familiar with Publisher’s Clearing House.
“Please warn the public to not give out info over the phone. Also to be very careful online and to verify mail that is received before sending personal info. I know this type of info has been addressed from various sources in the past, but it never hurts to mention it again.”
Let’s all be careful out there.
From staff reports.