Oklahoma Drug Thugs Arrested in Coleman After Leaving Dog in Hot Car

COLEMAN – Three Oklahoma drug dealers were arrested in Coleman with a large amount of meth after a concerned citizen reported they had left a dog in a hot car outside the Dollar General.  

According to the Coleman Police Department, on Saturday, July 9, 2022, officers of the CPD were dispatched to the Dollar General store, on the 2300 block of Commercial Ave., to investigate an allegation of Animal Cruelty by a concerned citizen. The resulting investigation resulted in a major drug bust and locating a wanted fugitive from Oklahoma.

The investigation revealed that Charles Henry Tarver, Billy Joe Turner II, and Randy Lawrence Moody, all of Oklahoma, left a dog confined in a hot pickup with the windows rolled up while they went inside the store for longer than 15 minutes. The suspects apparently forgot that the dog was inside the vehicle.

During the investigation, Moody, who has outstanding warrants in Oklahoma, provided a false name to the officer and then fled the scene on foot, running east between Tractor Supply and Dollar General. Several law enforcement agencies responded but attempts to locate the fleeing suspect were unsuccessful.

Arrests were made and a search of the vehicle resulted in officers finding 1.8 pounds of marijuana, 130 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The three suspects are charged with a range of offenses to include: Class A Misdemeanor Cruelty to a Non-Livestock Animal, First Degree Felony Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance in a Drug Free Zone, and State Jail Felony Possession of Marijuana in a Drug Free Zone. Additionally, Moody will be charged with Failure to Identify – Fugitive from Justice, and Evading Arrest or Detention.

The dog was secured at the City of Coleman Animal Shelter pending disposition. Area law enforcement assisting in this case were the Coleman County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Anna Police Department, and Texas Parks and Wildlife.