Doughnuts in the dark
According to an affidavit filed by Lincoln County Officer Larry William Stover, Game Warden Gary Emmons received a call Sunday, Nov. 10, from a hunter who said there was a black car parked on his property even though they had no permission to be there.
Emmons found the black Ford Mustang and decided to wait for someone to come back to the car, which had been reported stolen earlier that day.
According to the affidavit, Emmons heard a vehicle driving in his direction around 7 p.m. and saw the lights bouncing around as the vehicle drove through the forest. Emmons said the vehicle did a “quick doughnut” in the hayfield and ended up pointing the headlights right at him.
Emmons confronted the vehicle where he found two passengers as well as Robert Bobby Kerrtiss Coffman and Theodore Lee Hermes Jr inside.
According to the affidavit, when Emmons showed his badge, Coffman jumped out of the vehicle and began running, while Hermes jumped in the driver’s seat and drove off. Emmons handcuffed and patted down one of the passengers.
Hermes crashed the vehicle and took off running into the woods with the other passenger.
Detective Larry Stover showed up to the scene to investigate around 10:00 p.m.
Hermes was found hiding in the woods unconscious and armed with an AR-15.
The passenger who ran off into the woods turned herself in and explained the situation.
According to the affidavit, she said Hermes had asked for help getting his truck unstuck, which also was reported stolen, but that they couldn’t get the vehicle unstuck and were headed back when they ran into Warden Emmons.
A Keltech carbine with a loaded magazine and 25 grams of methamphetamines were found on the scene, according to the affidavit.
Coffman denied any possession of the stolen vehicle, guns and drugs, but then stated he had placed the gun under the seat when they were confronted by Warden Emmons.
Coffman, 40, of Seminole was charged with aggravated trafficking in illegal drugs, possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the affidavit.
According to the Oklahoma On Demand Court Records, the preliminary hearing for Coffman is set for Jan. 16, at 1:30 p.m.
Hermes was taken to St. Anthony Shawnee for medical assistance. Upon release, Hermes was taken to the Lincoln County Jail.
Hermes Jr, 45, of Ada, was charged with aggravated trafficking in illegal drugs, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of firearm after former felony conviction, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the affidavit.
According to the ODCR, Hermes waived his preliminary hearing and is set for an arraignment scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 9:30 a.m.
Garza pleads guilty
Monica Garza, 28, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty Friday, December 13, 2019, to one count of possession of stolen vehicle and one count of driving with a suspended license, according to the Oklahoma On Demand Court Records.
According to an affidavit filed by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Matthew Krupczyk, Trooper Krupczyk received a call from dispatch regarding a stolen vehicle that was traveling west on the Turner Turnpike.
Dispatch informed Trooper Krupczyk that the person who reported the stolen vehicle had been following Garza since she took the vehicle from their residence.
According to the affidavit, Garza was taken to Lincoln County Jail where the jail supervisor, Gage Elder, found a debit card in Garza’s pockets that belonged to the owner of the stolen vehicle.
According to the ODCR, Garza will spend 90 days in the Lincoln County Jail, perform 40 hours of community service and pay a variety of fines.