Cody Harrison Whorton

Jessica Ann Carey

Two Missouri residents are in custody at the Baxter County Detention Center on multiple charges following a high speed vehicle pursuit that occurred this afternoon on U. S. Highway 62/412 East of Mountain Home.

     At approximately 1:40 PM, Sheriff’s Corporal Kristofer Savino attempted to initiate a vehicle stop for a traffic offense on U. S. Highway 62/412 near Lake Norfork.  Corporal Savino was following behind a 2001 Subaru black 2 door passenger car going West bound that had a defective brake light.  The vehicle was being driven by a male, and there was a female passenger.

     Once Corporal Savino activated his emergency blue lights, the driver of the Subaru turned into the Diamond Gem Estates subdivision but refused to stop.  After going some distance into the subdivision, the driver cut across and drove through the front yard of a residence, turned around, and headed back toward Highway 62/412.  Once back to the highway, the driver again turned West toward Mountain Home, with Corporal Savino pursuing.  After going a short distance, the driver made a U-Turn to go back East on Highway 62/412 and accelerated rapidly to high speed.  The pursuit continued across the Lake Norfork bridge at Henderson and headed toward Fulton County.  As the driver of the fleeing vehicle was nearing the Fulton County line, his vehicle suffered mechanical malfunction and became disabled in the area of 14,000 Highway 62/412 East.

     When the vehicle came to a stop in front of a private residence, the driver and passenger both bailed out and fled on foot.  Corporal Savino gave chase to the driver and chased him into the wood line for approximately 150 feet, subdued him, and took him into custody.  A private citizen at the residence maintained watch on the subdued and cuffed driver while Corporal Savino then apprehended the female passenger.  Corporal Savino had both of them in custody before any back-up units arrived to assist.

     The vehicle the arrestees were in had been reported and entered as stolen into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer system by the Branson, Missouri Police Department on May 14^th.  Information on the entry indicated the vehicle was a Papa John’s Pizza delivery vehicle that was stolen from the Hampton Inn in Branson. 

     The Sheriff’s Office later obtained information that the arrestees had been involved in at least two previous vehicle pursuits in Missouri after having stolen the vehicle in question.  One pursuit was in the Branson area but the arrestees eluded police.  A second pursuit was said to have taken place on Saturday night, May 17^th, and ended close to the Missouri and Arkansas state line near Doniphan, Missouri, with the arrestees again eluding the pursuing officers.

     The driver arrested from the vehicle following the pursuit was identified as 26 year old CODY HARRISON WHORTON, listing an address in West Plains, Missouri.  He is incarcerated in the Detention Center on charges of:

Fleeing by Vehicle – Felony
Possession of Stolen Property – Felony
Driving While Intoxicated by Drugs – Misdemeanor
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Misdemeanor
Reckless Driving – Misdemeanor
Public Intoxication - Misdemeanor
Fleeing by Foot – Misdemeanor
No Liability Insurance – Misdemeanor
Defective Brake Lights – Misdemeanor
No Seat Belt – Misdemeanor
Hold for Other Agencies (Missouri)

     CODY WHORTON is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond on the Arkansas charges and without bond on the Missouri hold.  He will appear in Baxter County Circuit Court on June 17^th to answer.

     The passenger in the vehicle was identified as JESSICA ANN CAREY, 38 years old, listing an address of Mountain View, Missouri.  She is incarcerated in the Detention Center on charges of:

Public Intoxication – Misdemeanor
Fleeing by Foot – Misdemeanor
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Misdemeanor
No Seat Belt – Misdemeanor

     JESSICA CAREY’s bond is not yet set.  She will appear in District Court on June 17^th to answer.

     The stolen vehicle was impounded.

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff