According to Collinsville Police a Fugitive from Justice in Tennessee was arrested in Collinsville and is awaiting Extradition.

Assistant Police Chief Rex Leath tells WEIS Radio News that Collinsville Officer Jeremy Bell observed a pick-up truck sitting at the Mapco Service Station with no tag – and a white male standing next to the vehicle smoking a cigarette, when Officer Bell drove through the parking lot, the man turned his head away from the officer.

At that point Officer Bell drove across the road in order to further observe the male – the driver of the vehicle got into the truck and pulled up to the gas pumps, stopped and washed his windows before pulling back out onto highway 68.
At that time Officer Bell immediately attempted to initiate a traffic stop, with the vehicle stopping on the South bound I-59 Ramp.

Officer Bell positively identified the driver as John David Roper of Pecos, Texas – the driver told Officer Bell that he had just been released from prison in Texas and had just picked up his 15 year old son from Cleveland, Tennessee who was the passenger in the vehicle.

Upon further investigation – Officer Bell learned that Roper had Felony Warrants from the Taylor County, Texas Sheriff’s Office for Theft and was a Fugitive from Justice.

Roper was arrested and transported to the DeKalb County Detention Center where he currently awaits extradition.
Roper’s 15 year old son, John David Roper finally admitted to police that his mother did not know that he was traveling to Louisiana with his dad and was transported to the Collinsville Police Department where he was picked up by his mother and grandmother from Cleveland, Tennessee.