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Tag: lee county sheriff’s office

  • Deputies: Wanted El Salvadorian gang member arrested in Lee County

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    Lee County deputies arrested a man accused of crimes associated with the criminal gang MS-13 on Wednesday. 

    According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and the State Highway Patrol were called to a crash with injuries in the southern portion of Lee County on U.S. Highway 1. 

    When law enforcement arrived, they tried to talk with one of the drivers involved in the crash.

    He allegedly gave five different variations of his name to authorities. After they were unable to track down any of the provided names, matching the date of birth provided, deputies arrested the man for further investigation. 

    Initially unable to verify his identity, deputies charged him under the alias “Juan Doe” with resisting, delaying and obstructing an officer and identity theft. 

    A fingerprint scan identified the man as 30-year-old Jonathon Josue Ayala Melendez of El Salvador. 

    LCSO contacted U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agents, who then contacted FBI agents, who confirmed that Ayala Melendez is wanted for kidnapping, drug trafficking, homicide and attempted homicide charges in El Salvador. 

    FBI agents said Ayala Melendez is a transnational member of MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha 13).

    U.S. authorities had been searching for Ayala Melendez for some time, according to LCSO’s press release. 

    Ayala Melendez remains in the custody of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office without bond and has an immigration detainer, issued by the Department of Homeland Security. 

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  • CRIME REPORTS: Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025

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    Felonies

    The following people were booked into the Lee County-Tupelo Adult Jail in connection with felony charges ending Monday at 11 a.m.

    Cordarius R. Bell, 33, of Grand Junction, Tennessee, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, trafficking methamphetamine.

    Marla Clifton, 43, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, trafficking methamphetamine.

    Carter Dickerson, 19, of Mooreville, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, aggravated domestic violence.

    Alan Wayne Emison, 44, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, violation of parole.

    Shamarius Gardner, 25, no address listed, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, aggravated assault.

    Troy Lee Jackson, 30, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, violation of probation, no driver’s license, no insurance, improper equipment.

    Lucas Jean Lee, 43, of Pontotoc, was arrested by the Saltillo Police Department, Department of Corrections warrant.

    Jager Samuel Livingston, 32, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, burglary of an auto, burglary of a dwelling, public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance.

    Jamie Martin Lober, 46, of Saltillo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, grand larceny, shoplifting.

    Richard L. Mansfield, 59, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, failure to register as a sex offender.

    Nathan Hodges McIntosh, 35, of Mantachie, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, possession of cocaine, DUI other.

    Janzten D. Pinson, 37, of Pontotoc, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, possession of a Schedule I drug, expired tag, no insurance.

    Richard Scott Reynolds, 32, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, possession of a Schedule II drug, contempt of court, possession of paraphernalia.

    Dashawn L. Stewart, 41, of Belmont, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’ Office, two counts of the sale of methamphetamine, trafficking methamphetamine.

    Scottie Lee Walls, 58, of Mooreville, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, home repair fraud, violation of Intensive Supervision Program, no driver’s license.

    Blessin Marshai Young, 23, no address listed, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, possession of fentanyl.

    Lee County Sheriff’s Office

    The following reports were filed Monday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

    A Katie Anne Lane Auburn said she parked her 2019 Toyota Camry outside her apartment around 7 a.m. She said the doors were locked and she brought the keys inside. When she walked outside around 1 p.m., it was gone. She said she was up to date on the payments and there was no record of it being towed.

    A County Road 811, Saltillo, woman said a white Chevy Tahoe passed her and then slammed on his brakes. The Tahoe then drove very slowly. When she tried the pass the SUV, it swerved into the other lane, trying to run her off the road. The Tahoe eventually turned on a side road and she continued on her way.

    A Drive 1998, Saltillo, man said several white males and females were shooting guns toward his residence around 7:30 p.m. He said they are on a neighbor’s property while shooting.

    A County Road 1460, Tupelo, man said his neighbors saw a gray SUV parked on his property around 10 p.m. They say the vehicle pull into the drive and park, but never saw anyone get out. The SUV was gone by the time the man arrived back home.

    A Drive 57, Tupelo, man has been taking care of four puppies that showed up at his house a week ago. He has been trying to find them a home and wanted to know if the deputy could help. He was advised to carry them to the Lee County Humane Society.

    A County Road 601, Guntown, man, 72, wanted to report a lost firearm. He said he hid the gun inside his residence before his grandkids came over. He has searched the house and cannot find where he had it hidden. He wanted a report on file.

    A Green Tee Road woman said there has been a Lab puppy hanging around her house. She wanted to know if it would be OK for her to carry it to the animal shelter on her own.

    A Palmetto Road Dollar General employee was outside on break when she saw a Black male leave the store with a cart full of items that were not in bags. He then began tossing merchandise into his vehicle. When she walked up and asked for a receipt, he said it was inside where he had gone through the self-checkout. She told him he was lying, because the self-checkout machine wasn’t working. He jumped in the car and drove away.

    A County Road 1310, Mooreville, woman said someone came onto her property and damaged her car. The windshield was broken. Three doors and the trunk lid were scratched. Offensive words were carved into the driver’s door and the trunk. Neighbors saw a white female out by the car and thought it was the victim.

    Anyone with information on any of these reports is urged to call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 841-9041, the Tupelo Police Department at 841-6491 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Mississippi at (800) 773-TIPS or download the P3 Tip App and leave an anonymous tip that way.

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  • Police Investigating Case Of Human Skull Found In Store’s Halloween Section

    Police Investigating Case Of Human Skull Found In Store’s Halloween Section

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    One shopper got a spooky surprise when she reportedly stumbled on a human skull in a Florida thrift store. Turns out that what she thought was a decorative item, might actually be the remains of a human.

    The Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Fort Meyers, Florida, shared the bizarre story on their official Meta page on Nov. 4. According to the post, the shopper is a certified anthropologist. Given her background, police say she “recognized [the skull] to be human.”  

    According to Newsweek, the anthropologist contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Shortly after, detectives pulled up to Paradise Vintage Market, located on North Cleveland Avenue, to further investigate.

    “Based upon the observations of detectives on scene, the skull is believed to be that of a human,” the Sheriff’s Office stated in their post.

    Detectives questioned the shop owner about the human skull. They revealed locating the alleged human body part in boxes from a storage unit purchased before September 2022.

    Managing partner of Paradise Vintage, Beth Meyer, told Newsweek the incident has been “interesting and unusual.” She confirmed that she purchased the storage unit, but its items reportedly sat in her guest bedroom for an entire year. She denies knowing any additional information about the skull’s origins.

    “I actually put the skull on display in my rock shop a year later in September 2023,” Beth said. “I thought it would be interesting to have out for Halloween.”

    There is no additional information available about the storage unit or its previous owner at this time.

    Medical Examiner Is Running Tests On Found Human Skull

    For now, it appears that local authorities aren’t too pressed about how a human skull ended up in an antique store. In fact, the Meta post declared that the case “is not suspicious in nature.” 

    “This is definitely different,” LCSO Captain Anita Iriarte told Newsweek on Sunday. “We don’t usually get a call from an antique store that there’s a human skull on the floor.”

    Still, the law enforcement agency plans to work with the District 21 Medical Examiner’s Office to “facilitate further testing of the skull.” Initial tests have confirmed that the recovered item constitutes real human remains.

    After the local medical examiner completes their tests, the skull will be sent to Gainsville for more testing. Authorities hope to learn more about where it came from and how old it is. The anthropologist told both Meyer and the cops that she believed the human skull was Native American.

    “The anthropologist came into the store, and gave a very informative and educational explanation as to why she thought it was Native American. The medical examiner came in, bagged and tagged the skull, and took it to the lab for testing. If it is Native American, it will be returned to one of the local tribes and we will have a ceremony,” Meyer said.

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    Cassandra S

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