A pair of Williamsburg residents are being held in the Whitley County Detention Center in lieu of $25,000 cash bonds after being arrested Sunday for fleeing or evading police.
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Officer Johnny Fulton arrested David Cook, 39, on charges of first-degree fleeing or evading police (motor vehicle), first-degree fleeing or evading police (on foot), operating an off-road vehicle on private/public land without consent, failure of owner to maintain required vehicle insurance, failure to produce vehicle insurance card, no registration plates, no registration receipt, license not in possession and regulations necessary to implement KRS 150.
Fulton arrested Latosha Yount, 34, on charges of first-degree fleeing or evading police (on foot), operating an off-road vehicle on private/public land without consent, criminal littering, and regulations necessary to implement KRS 150.
The incident allegedly happened Sunday at the University of the Cumberlands (UC) Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
Fulton received a complaint from a UC employee about a four-wheeler that went through the gate of the WMA. The WMA is foot traffic only and no vehicles are allowed past the parking lot, according to an arrest citation.
Fulton went to the location and could see headlights going through the WMA and waited for the 2000 green Suzuki to come back through the gate, according to his arrest citation.
When Cook came back through the gate, Williamsburg Police Officer Mike Taylor tried to make contact, but Cook allegedly sped off. Then Fulton tried to stop the four-wheeler, but Cook allegedly continued on the WMA roadway speeding up and going side to side on the roadway, Fulton wrote on the arrest citation.
Once Cook allegedly got off the WMA, he took a right on KY-92W driving on the wrong side of the road. He then went up a driveway and back into the woods, the citation stated.
Fulton and Taylor circled back onto KY-92W and went up another driveway in the direction that the four-wheeler had gone. The two law enforcement officers then started walking into the woods where they found Cook allegedly hiding about 75 to 100 yards away from the four-wheeler, Fulton wrote.
Cook did not have any identification and could not produce any paperwork regarding the four-wheeler, the citation stated.
Yount’s arrest citation noted she was allegedly a passenger on the back of a four-wheeler during an incident at UC’s WMA. The back passenger on the four-wheeler was wearing an orange camo outfit, according to Yount’s arrest citation.
The orange camo outfit was located about 40 to 50 yards from the four-wheeler. Then about 40 to 50 yards from there, Yount was located and detained, Fulton wrote.
Both were booked into the Whitley County Detention Center on Monday, according to the detention center’s website.
Judge Fred White entered a not guilty plea for both Cook and Yount during their arraignments late Monday morning in Whitley District Court.
White appointed the public advocate’s office to represent both Cook and Yount and scheduled Jan. 12 preliminary hearings in their cases.
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, both remained incarcerated in the Whitley County Detention Center, according to the detention center’s website.
Williamsburg Police Officer Colby Cornett assisted with the investigation.
