FW: Press release

JCPD NEWS RELEASE

On 01/25/2017, at approximately 09:30am Investigators with the Johnson City Police Department located a vehicle parked in the Walmart parking lot on W Market St that had been reported stolen out of Raleigh, NC on Jan 16^th, 2017. Investigators noticed there was at least two suspects inside the vehicle. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver started the vehicle and fled the scene. Officers of the Johnson City Police Department were able to provide direction of travel of the fleeing stolen vehicle as it left the City of Johnson City and fled into Elizabethton. The Elizabethton Police Department and Carter County Sheriff’s Office were able to spot the vehicle and attempted to stop it as well but it continued to evade. The vehicle eventually ended up back in the City of Johnson City and crashed into two other motorists’ vehicles in the intersection of Main St and Legion St. The occupants of the stolen auto attempted to evade on foot but were quickly apprehended and detained. No other motorists were injured in the crash.  The driver was identified as Mark Buckingham III, 32 years old of Hanover, PA and was transported to the Johnson City Medical Center for a possible head injury but was released. The passenger was a female identified as Marlene Alfonso, 20 years old of Lakewood, CO and was not injured in the crash. Buckingham was charged by Investigators of the Johnson City Police Department with Possession of Stolen Property (Motor Vehicle) over $1,000, felony evading arrest, and Aggravated Assault and is being held in the Washington County Detention Center in lieu of a $60,000 bond. The Tennessee Highway Patrol also has pending charges against Buckingham related to the crash. Alfonso is charged with Possession of Stolen Property (Motor Vehicle) over $1,000 and is being held in the Washington County Detention Center in lieu of a $5,000 bond. Both defendants will be arraigned in the General Sessions Court of Washington County on 01/26/2017 @ 0900am.