Police arrested a 37-year-old man sought on a Jackson Circuit Court warrant for the Level 3 felony charge of battery early Wednesday in Jennings County.
Michael A. Thomas of North Vernon was arrested after he was found in a vehicle in the 9300 block of North County Road 200E in Jennings County near a home owned by Russell Cathey.
Cathey, 48, also was arrested and booked into the Jennings County Jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine and visiting/maintaining a common nuisance.
The investigation that led to the arrest of the pair began when officers with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department’s special response team counter drug unit were able to determine Thomas was at Cathey’s home at 9340 N. County Road 200E, according to a news release from Chief Deputy David Turner.
He said police knew Thomas has a lengthy violent criminal history, including pistol-whipping a female acquaintance and then holding her against her will and drug-related crimes.
Officers also had received recent information that Thomas knew he was wanted and would attempt to evade law enforcement while making comments that he would not go back to prison, Turner said.
With the assistance of the Indiana National Guard counter drug unit helicopter, police found Thomas at Cathey’s home, Turner said.
He said police were familiar with the location because of previous drug-related issues with Cathey.
Turner said when deputies arrived at the home, they found Cathey and several other people.
While on scene, surveillance units advised members of the special response team counter drug unit that a vehicle that had been at the home earlier was now back in the area but quickly tried to leave the area upon seeing police officers, Turner said.
Officers with the special response team county drug unit were able to stop the vehicle and arrest Thomas without incident, Turner said.
The investigation revealed that as deputies arrived at the residence, Thomas fled into the woods and had been picked up by the vehicle, which was later stopped.
During the investigation, Cathey was found to be in possession of a bag of methamphetamine, leading to his arrest.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
