LOWNDES CO., Ga. – On Tuesday August 27, 2019 a deputy with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Interstate Criminal Enforcement Team followed a gray Nissan Altima north bound on Interstate 75 when the vehicle made an abrupt lane change and got off at exit 11.

At the top of the exit ramp, the vehicle turned north on Madison Highway before the deputy could catch up to the vehicle and pulled into the business at 3495 Madison Highway where it quickly backed into a parking space.

According to an official statement from Lowndes County Sheriff’s Capt. Stryde Jones, the deputy’s primary intent was to stop the driver and address the illegal window tint, which he determined illegal and warranted a citation.

During this assessment, the report further stated the deputy “felt that something wasn’t right based off the vehicle’s actions after the officer’s presence.”

The deputy pulled to another location to observe “from a safe distance” and took down the vehicle’s tag.

The tag matched with a 1998 Ford Mustang, not a Nissan Altima.

The deputy became more suspicious and stayed put, watching closely. After about an hour, the report noted, a silver the Nissan Altima “met with a silver Chevrolet Impala,” in the parking lot of the store.

The deputy noted that the Impala, too, had illegal tint on its windows.

The two vehicles exited the parking lot with the deputy following onto the roadway, attempting to “stop both vehicles” leading to all of them across the street in the parking lot of a business located at 3460 Madison Highway.

The Nissan Altima rolled up to a gas pump, the report further recounted, adding that the Chevy Impala drove around the side of the building causing the deputy to lose “sight for a brief time before pulling back up to the gas pumps in font of the store.”

A female driver was identified in the Chevrolet Impala and a male, James Lockley, was identified as the driver of the Chevrolet Impala.

During the course of the traffic stop, it was determined that both vehicles and the two men were involved in several violent armed robberies and carjackings from both Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Both vehicles had been reported stolen and both men were wanted for outstanding warrants for their arrest.

Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that “both vehicles did have illegal window tint and were displaying tags that were registered to other vehicles (more than likely stolen but not entered as stolen yet at the time of the stop).

The correct tags were found in the trunks of the cars, and both were stolen.

Along with the stolen vehicles and tags found was also a stolen Smith and Wesson, semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun that is believed to have been involved in the armed robberies and carjackings from Pennsylvania and Maryland.

James Lockley was arrested and charged with window tint violation, driving with a suspended license, possession of the stolen vehicle and possession of the stolen tag. 

With the help of citizens at the business who were witnesses to the incident, an additional male, Willie Singletary was also arrested after being found within the store and later determined to have originally been driving the Nissan Altima.

It is believed that Singletary got out of the Nissan Altima and into the Chevrolet Impala with Lockley at the first business before having the female driver follow them in the other vehicle.

When the Impala momentarily was out of the deputy’s watch, LCSO believe Singletary exited the vehicle and went into the business.

Singletary was also charged with the window tint violation, driving with a suspended license, giving false name and date of birth, possession of the stolen vehicle and tag as well as being a convicted felon in possession of the stolen firearm found within the trunk.

The female driver from the Impala was released with no charges as it was determined that she had nothing to do with any of the crimes and had no clue that the vehicles were stolen as she had just met one of the males on an online dating website and had ridden with him from her hometown of Jacksonville, Fl.  

No one was injured during this incident. Both individuals arrested had active out of state warrants for their arrest and were taken to the Lowndes County Jail without further incident.