Palestine man arrested for evading arrest, tampering with evidence

By Cheril Vernon

Messenger Copy Editor

ANDERSON COUNTY – A Palestine man wanted on two warrants was arrested for evading arrest with a vehicle and tampering with evidence, both third-degree felonies, during a traffic stop on Saturday, Jan. 21.

At approximately 8:52 p.m. Jan. 21, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Skinner attempted to stop a black 2008 Hyundai driven by a known wanted man, Timothy Bailey, 37, of Palestine. While traveling north on West Oak Street, Bailey refused to stop, turning on North Fort Street and then running a stop sign and turning onto Debard Street, according to an ACSO report. Bailey then turned onto Cottage Street where he threw a large beer bottle out of the passenger window, again failed to stop at a stop sign and turned right, back onto West Oak Street, where deputies finally got him stopped, the report said.

Bailey was taken into custody and charged with evading arrest with a vehicle, tampering with evidence and two class C warrants with $928 in fines with a total of $10,000 in bonds.

According to Section 12.34 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the third degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 10 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the third degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”