WHITE CO., Ill. - One of south counties' more prolific and hateful crims made her way back into the headlines after a sharp-eyed deputy, looking for a work-release escapee, observed her chuck a bag out the window of the vehicle she was driving.
Tara Keown, 31 and most recently of Carmi, also managed to get her passenger hemmed up on the same charges, because she's generous like that.
In fact, it was another crim, Eric B. Willett with whom Keown has had known associations in the past, that White County Sgt. Craig Poole was on patrol looking for earlier today (Friday, February 15) when he came across Keown (for those who don't know, Willett, 31 of Wayne City, escaped from work release and is now the subject of an Illinois Department of Corrections arrest warrant).
Poole had made a prior arrest earlier in the day of another escapee, Timothy J. Kerr, and was on patrol this afternoon on Illinois Route 14 approximately one mile west of County Road 700 East. Keown's name had come up in the investigation, so when Poole met a green Mazda with Keown behind the wheel, he turned the cruiser around to follow and observe the vehicle.
Poole noted there was a passenger in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. About that time, the Mazda turned north on County Road 700 without using a left turn signal. So Poole initiated a traffic stop, at which time the Mazda did not stop, and continued north.
The Mazda went over a set of railroad tracks, where Poole observed a small red bag being thrown out the passenger side window. Poole radioed backup with info about the bag, notifying them of the location for it to be recovered. When it was recovered, it was found to have methamphetamine, weighing scales, drug paraphernalia, clear plastic baggies, several circular pills, needles and a metal spoon with burnt residue.
The Mazda, meanwhile, continued north about another quarter of a mile before coming to a stop. Receiving assistance with the vehicle stop from White County Sheriff Doug Maier and Carmi Police Officer Jonathan Lucas, Poole made contact with Keown behind the wheel. A check through White County Dispatch revealed, however, that Keown had an arrest warrant out of Saline County.
So she was placed under arrest for the warrant, as well as nice new charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Manufacture or Delivery of Methamphetamine.
Sheriff Maier placed the passenger, Michelle S. Newman, under arrest for Possession of Meth, Manufacture or Delivery of Meth, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The search for Willett continues.