Claiming to be law

enforcement officer

Man facing charges

after making false

911 call, reporting

home was on fire

due to truck crash

by Teresa Eubanks, CLJNews.com

HOSFORD, FL –  Volunteer firefighters scrambled to reach the scene of a burning home in Hosford last month only to discover it was a prank call.

What they were warned to expect after being called out at 5:44 a.m. on June 6 was frightening.  A Liberty County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher received a call from a man reporting that a house had erupted into flames when a truck drove into it.

“Our volunteer firefighters responded,” said Hosford-Telogia Fire Chief Dallas Ramer.  “The Bristol and Rock Bluff Fire Departments were on standby and EMS was enroute.”

Everyone was on edge, but when they arrived, “There was no smoke, no flames and no vehicle in the house,” Ramer said.

A deputy found everyone in the home asleep and unaware of the chaos created by the unfounded report.

“It kind of shook our little community,” the fire chief said.  “We’re set on ‘go’ over here all the time.”

Firefighters know the people who live there and had been told a man who had driven into the home had a little girl in the vehicle with him. They were expecting the worst.

The person who reportedly set off the chain of events that morning identified himself as Detective Janey and gave a badge number.   He asked if the Hosford-Telogia Fire Department would be sent to the scene.  When the dispatcher said they would, the caller replied, “Tell them Tow Truck said hey.”

The call was traced and found to belong to James  Timothy Pritchard, who is known to go by the nickname “Tow Truck.”

•  •  •  •  •

This isn’t the first time Pritchard sent deputies, firefighters and ambulance crews scrambling to respond to what he indicated was a life-threatening situation.

According to the sheriff’s office, Pritchard has made “multiple reports” of serious events happening at the same address in Hosford, where one of the occupants  has an active domestic violence injunction against him.

This past May 28, the sheriff’s office records show that Pritchard phoned to claim that a resident at the same address called him “screaming bloody murder.”  Deputies responded but found no sign of distress; in fact – just like June 6 –  everyone in the home was asleep.

Pritchard was also a suspect in a possible violation of injunction call on May 30.

He was arrested on July 20 and charged with two counts of misuse of 911 and one count of false impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

 – – – – –

Woman charged with

stealing relative’s car,

debit cards & watch

BRISTOL, FL – A woman who came to Liberty County to stay with relatives has been charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and two counts of petty theft.

Katelyn Love Harris, 20, moved in on July 22, coming from Mobile, AL, to work on overcoming a substance abuse issue, according to the arrest report.

One of the relatives she was staying with awoke on July 25 to discover her 2014 Ford Fusion was gone, as was Harris.

Also missing was her wallet, which contained around $200, along with two  debit cards, her driver’s license and insurance cards, all of which had been removed from her bedroom.  The Apple watch she had left in the car was also missing.

The victim quickly canceled her cards.  A short time later that morning it was discovered Harris had attempted to use the debit cards to get $200 but the transaction was declined.

Harris was later located after an attempt was made to use another stolen card.

After three relatives agreed to press charges, Harris was arrested.

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