Published: July 02, 2009 10:31 pm      

Police arrests man on multiple charges

Pickens booked on a drug charge, shoplifting and failure to identify as a fugitive

The Athens Police Department arrested a man Tuesday who was wanted on a drug charge in Van Zandt County.

Tyrone Eugene Pickens, 32, was booked into the Henderson County Jail for theft under $50, failure to ID as a fugitive and a warrant for manufacture and delivery of a simulated controlled substance, stemming from a case investigated by the Canton Police Department.

He remained in jail Thursday evening with bond set at $17,000.

According to the Texas Health and Safety Code, a "simulated controlled substance" means a substance that is purported to be a controlled substance, but is chemically different from the controlled substance it is purported to be. The offense is a state jail felony.

At 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, APD received a call from the Brookshires store in the 800 block of East Tyler Street.

A store official told police Pickens had stolen a small amount of merchandise, APD reports stated.

When Officer James Graham arrived at the store, he spoke to Pickens, who falsely identified himself as Tyrone Tyson Dunn. He was taken into custody and transported to jail. Graham was assisted in the arrest by Officer Dana Dykes and Corporal Roger Keith.

APD later learned that Dunn was an alias, and Pickens was being sought on the Canton P.D. warrant. Pickens reportedly told Graham he was aware of the drug warrant and gave the false name because he didn’t want to go to jail.