Chattanooga Pulse

• Some people dislike nosy neighbors, but occasionally having one next door can be a very good thing.  A McHann Drive resident called police when he noticed two men walking around to the back of his neighbor’s house. East Ridge officers arrived within a minute, and discovered pry marks on a rear door and several windows screens cut. They began searching the area and flushed one of the suspects, who attempted to run, but was captured hiding inside a car. A short time later, the second suspect was caught while hiding in a nearby house. The two suspects were charged with attempted aggravated burglary and taken to jail.

• When will drug runners learn how to drive?  Once again, police were able to make a sizeable drug bust because of a simple traffic stop. An Alabama man was arrested by Bradley County deputies after he was pulled over for following too closely on I-75.  When the deputy approached the vehicle, he noticed something wasn’t quite right, and during a search of the car discovered two pounds of marijuana.  The driver and passenger were arrested on drug and weapons charges…as well as being issued a citation for following too closely.

• One occasionally hears about a group of thieves who drive a large vehicle through the front of a shop. One would generally assume that they did so on purpose, but a recent case involving a mobile phone store on Highway 153 raises some questions about driving ability.  Three men in a Chevy Suburban smashed into the store and helped themselves to six cell phones.  But they didn’t get very far in their getaway, as they then wrecked their truck just a short distance away on Redlands Drive.  Officers were quickly able to capture the three hapless thieves and recover the stolen phones.  Luckily for the rest of us on the road, it’s unlikely any of the three will be driving again anytime soon.

• Finally this week, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office needs your help. They are attempting to locate a possible witness to the fatal fire that claimed the life of Arthur Lawson on September 28 at 10110 Highway 58.  The witness is described as a white female, who identified herself as a former volunteer firefighter. She stopped her truck at the scene and went to the rear of the burning building to see if she could contain the fire. Unfortunately, she not only wasn’t able to contain the fire, she also apparently didn’t stick around to speak with authorities. Anyone who may know the identity of this person is requested to contact Detective Ric Whaley at (423) 209-8940.