Manhunt ends as Sequatchie County suspect turns himself in

photo Samuel Elliot Westerfield

A 21-year-old Sequatchie County man who evaded police for more than 24 hours after reportedly committing robbery and theft over $1,000 is in custody.

Samuel Westerfield turned himself in to Sequatchie County officers at the sheriff's office around 3:30 p.m. Sunday and is being held in the Sequatchie County jail without bond, according to a Sequatchie County Sheriff's Office news release.

Law enforcement officers have been searching for him since 6:15 a.m. Saturday.

The sheriff's office has pending charges against Westerfield that include attempted aggravated robbery, theft of property over $1,000, evading arrest, resisting arrest and possession of a prohibited weapon by a convicted felon. Charges are also pending for another man, Cody Scott Johnson, for theft of property over $10,000.

Johnson, 22, of Signal Mountain, allegedly stole his grandmother's 2011 maroon Nissan four-door sedan and picked up Westerfield while Westerfield ran from police.

Sequatchie County detectives and Chattanooga police found Johnson's grandmother's stolen car at Northgate mall.

The sheriff's office also took Shauna Lauren Tate, 23, of Dunlap, into custody on Saturday. Tate was with Westerfield on Saturday when he fled from law enforcement. Both were at a vehicle on Big Fork Road that had been reported stolen. She is charged with theft of property over $1,000 and possession of drug paraphernalia. She is held in the Sequatchie County Jail without bond.

While law enforcement searched for Westerfield on Saturday, he allegedly stopped at a residence near the Big Fork area and pulled a handgun on a homeowner and fled into the woods. Hamilton County Sheriff's Office assisted in the search with a K-9 unit, but the K-9 track went cold.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Sequatchie County Emergency Management also assisted the Sequatchie County Sheriff's Office.

Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com.

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