Five Arrested On Multiple Charges In Alexander County…Updated

On Thursday, July 8, 2021, at approximately 11:15 AM, a hit confirmation was received on a stolen vehicle via the Flock Safety License Plate Reader Camera that is being utilized by the Taylorsville Police Department and Alexander County Sheriff’s Office on a trial basis. The hit confirmation was received on a license plate of a white Hyundai Elantra that was located in the area of Murphy’s Gas Station in front of Wal-Mart on Highway 16 in Taylorsville.  Officers with the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office and Taylorsville Police Department responded to the scene, where the vehicle was located and several subjects who were in the vehicle were detained. Lieutenant Timothy Simms and K-9 Mick arrived on scene, where K-9 Mick conducted an open-air sniff and alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle was conducted, where drug paraphernalia, concealed weapons (a wooden bat and hunting knives), and a quantity of methamphetamine were discovered. All occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest for various charges.  Methamphetamine was also seized from a female occupant of the vehicle in the Alexander County Detention Center while being processed

21-year old Nathan Michael Wagner of Rock Hill, South Carolina is charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia, and resisting arrest. He was placed in the Alexander County Detention Center with a secured bond of $15,000. A Monday, July 12th court date is scheduled.

42-year old Timothy M Alexander of Taylorsvlle is charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest. He was placed in the Alexander County Detention Center with a secured bond of $10,000. A Monday, July 12th court date is scheduled.

46-year old Pamela Logan Franklin of Cornelius is charged with resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance on jail premises. She was placed in the Alexander County Detention Center with a secured bond of $15,000. A Monday, July 12th court date is scheduled.

21-year old Taylor Rae Trimbach of Gastonia is charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and carry a concealed weapon. She was placed in the Alexander County Detention Center with a secured bond of $5,000. A Monday, July 12th court date is scheduled.

20-year old Breanna Leigh Hughes of Ft Lawn, South Carolina is charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She has been released on a $10,000 bond. A Monday, July 12th court date is scheduled.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible according to Major Jason Moore of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office.

The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office and Taylorsville Police Department are looking into placing Flock Safety License Plate Readers in various locations around the city and county. This License Plate Reader scans images of license plates and compares the tag numbers against databases, which include stolen vehicles, wanted persons, amber alerts, gang and suspected terrorists, immigration violations, sex offenders, missing persons, and domestic violence protection orders. During the trial basis of approximately one month, Alexander County Sheriff’s Office and Taylorsville Police Department have made seven arrests utilizing the Flock Safety License Plate Reader, including a wanted person from New York, a stolen tag from Wilkes County, and the arrests listed above. A missing person from New York was also located utilizing the License Plate Reader.

Sheriff Bowman stated “These cameras are used to aid in the investigation of various crimes and to promote crime prevention. This is an example of new technology available to law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime.”

These cameras are also available for purchase by private citizens, neighborhoods, and businesses.

If there are any questions about the Flock Safety License Plate Readers, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at (828) 632-1111.

Photos: Alexander County Sheriff’s Office