CAMDEN — Village Police Chief Matt Spurlock arrested three men with ties to Preble County for crimes related to the theft of a semi-truck on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Trenton PD officers assisted with Spurlock’s investigation.
According to an incident report provided by Camden PD, Spurlock was dispatched to a business located on N. Main St. in Camden last Tuesday. The driver of a white Kenworth semi-trailer truck who had parked his vehicle in a nearby lot the previous night informed Spurlock that he had returned to find the vehicle missing.
The vehicle was later located in Trenton using GPS technology. After taking DNA swabs from inside the cab, Spurlock released the truck to its driver and one of his superiors at Best-One Tire, the local company which owns the truck.
Spurlock and Trenton PD officers then questioned Cody Wells, of Trenton, after learning the truck had been parked near Wells’ residence for a short time early that morning. A DNA sample was taken from Wells at this time, with his signed consent.
While preparing to search Wells’ residence, Spurlock witnessed the arrival of Charles Ray Howard, of West Alexandria. Howard, with whom Spurlock and Camden PD have had drug-related dealings in the past, claimed to be waiting to pick up a third man, Tyler Anderson, with whom Spurlock was also familiar.
Anderson, who fit the description of a man seen earlier by Trenton police speaking with Wells outside his residence, was found loitering on Wells’ property shortly thereafter, at which point Wells was arrested and Anderson and Howard were detained and placed in handcuffs. Howard was arrested after methamphetamine was found on his person.
Wells later confessed that Anderson, a former prison acquaintance, had arrived at his home the previous night and asked for help unloading equipment from inside the truck. Wells is expected to face charges of receiving stolen property and obstructing official business, while Anderson will be charged with felony theft.
“Chief Spurlock brought closure to this case in a very short period of time,” Camden Mayor Karen Moss told The Register-Herald. “He got back a very expensive semi-truck and most of the equipment inside. The company was thrilled, because this really saved them a huge amount of money.”
Moss credited Spurlock’s familiarity with two of the perpetrators for bringing the case to a speedy resolution.
“Nobody else would have been able to pull this together so quickly, but there were things that made him suspicious that another officer who hadn’t had those encounters might not have noticed,” Moss said. “Chief Spurlock is very in tune with our community. He knows people’s routines, he knows the hangouts. He and I work well together, and I have a great deal of respect for him.”
“I’m very proud of Chief Spurlock,” Moss continued. “That pretty much sums it up.”
Camden PD Officer Matt Taylor expressed similar sentiments.
“The chief did a fabulous job. The call came in at 7 or 8 a.m., and by 2 or 2:30 the chief had people in custody and property back to the owners,” Taylor said. “It’s just great police work, and I think it deserves to be recognized.”
