On July 20, Corporal Cara Grumbles responded to the parking lot of Monk’s Inn in St. Inigoes, for a report of a motor vehicle theft. Investigation revealed the complainant, an employee of Monk’s Inn, who has permission to operate the owner of Monk’s Inn’s vehicle, left the keys to the vehicle in her purse on the bar at Monk’s Inn. Three individuals, later identified as the defendants, entered the bar, stayed a short period of time and then exited. The complainant received a phone call from another person at Monks Inn stating the three individuals were in the parking lot, operating the owner’s vehicle without permission and doing “donuts” with the vehicle in the parking lot at Monk’s Inn.

Corporal Grumbles interviewed the witness who identified one of the three suspects as Joseph Lloyd Carroll, 25 of St. Inigoes. The witness saw Carroll get into the backseat of the vehicle. Two other suspects were identified as Gregory Stuart Cooley, 24 of Lexington Park, the operator of the stolen vehicle, and Casey Michael Kohn, 24 of Lexington Park, the front seat passenger of the stolen vehicle. At no time did Carroll, Cooley or Kohn have permission to take or operate the victim’s vehicle. Search incident to Carroll’s arrest revealed the keys to the vehicle.

Danielle Renee Smith, 23 of Ridge, the girlfriend of Carroll, was at Monk’s Inn and was interviewed about the incident. As Corporal Grumbles was attempting to conduct the investigation, Smith became very loud, confrontational and yelled warnings to Kohn and Cooley of their pending arrests. Smith refused to listen to Corporal Grumbles when told to stop yelling and stop approaching the suspects in the investigation. Smith’s disorderly demeanor and confrontational behavior seriously comprised the officer’s on the scene safety and hindered the investigation. Smith was arrested and charged with hindering a police officer in the performance of duty and failing to obey a lawful order of a police officer.