High-speed chase ends in arrests of man, woman in Baldwin Co.
Published 2:41 pm Thursday, June 19, 2025
A high-speed chase June 15 between the driver of a pickup truck and a deputy with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office led to the arrests of a man and woman on drug charges.
The suspects were identified as Sherald Emerson Denham Mullinax Jr., 41 of Forsyth; and Tara Lynn Avant, 42, of the 100 block of Garrett Way, Milledgeville, according to an incident report filed by Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Alex Rickey.
Mullinax was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act for possession of methamphetamine, driving while license suspended, reckless driving, insurance requirements and possession of drug related objects.
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Avant was charged with possession of drug related objects, allowing an unlicensed person to drive and permitting the operation of an uninsured vehicle.
After their arrests, Mullinax and Avant were both taken to the Baldwin County Law Enforcement Center and jailed.
Rickey said while he was patrolling in the area of Irwinton and Harrisburg roads, he spotted a blue Dodge Dakota pickup truck being driven by a man not wearing a safety seatbelt as required by state law.
When the deputy checked the license plate through the Georgia Crime Information Center, he learned the vehicle was not covered by insurance.
Rickey said he activated his emergency equipment and attempted to make a traffic stop at the intersection of Irwinton Road and the Ga. Route 29 Bypass.
“The driver failed to stop and accelerated at a high rate of speed,” Rickey said in his report. “The vehicle reached speeds of over 100 miles per hour in a posted 55 mile per hour speed zone on Gordon Highway. Near Pancras Road, the driver began braking and turned right, narrowly missing a pedestrian.”
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The driver of the truck later turned onto Forest Valley Drive and continued accelerating, the deputy said.
“The driver attempted to turn into a driveway at 259 Forest Valley Drive, lost control and came to a stop,” Rickey said.
Seconds later, the driver, later identified as Mullinax, exited the truck and started running through nearby yards.
“I pursued Mullinax and was able to apprehend him after he tripped over a log,” Rickey said.
During a search of Mullinax, the deputy said he found a white pouch that contained a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine.
A search of the truck turned up two glass pipes with residue and an unknown substance inside a black backpack that was found near the front passenger seat.
Both suspects denied that the drugs or the drug-related objects belonged to them, Rickey said.