Teenage suspect arrested in string of thefts

A suspect in a string of battery and heavy-duty construction equipment thefts in Bradley County was arrested Tuesday.

Scottie Lee Higgins, 19, was arrested at his mother’s home on Burke Ridge Drive on an outstanding charge of theft over $1,000 after a deputy noticed his car parked outside the house, Bradley County sheriff’s spokesperson Bob Gault said.

Higgins’ mother, Stormy Lee Merriman, 37, and a teenager attempted to stop the arrest, Gault said. Merriman was arrested and charged with assault on an officer and resisting arrest, he said, while the 17-year-old was placed in the custody of a juvenile detention center on related charges.

Police offered a reward for information leading to Higgins arrest on Aug. 20.