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Fredericksburg resident Tahj Ford, 27, and 24-year-old Woodbridge native Michaele Simms were both detained over the weekend, despite their best efforts to evade arrest.
According to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct .25, a deputy on patrol on Warrenton Road near Sanford Drive spotted a Jeep - driven by Simms - make a reckless lane change, causing the vehicle behind her to take evasive action to avoid being struck, prompting an initially innocuous traffic stop that resulted in both of their arrests at the entrance of Comfort Suites.
During the stop, investigators say that Ford hopped out of the vehicle and began to walk away, ignoring a deputy's commands to stay in the area and picking up the pace as he fled on foot.
Ford did not make it far.
The deputy stayed with the driver and issued a BOLO for Ford who was spotted near Black Rifle Coffee, though he did not go down quietly.
Responding deputies made contact with Ford; however, he continued to walk away, and when they attempted to detain him, he resisted and pulled away with such force that he knocked himself to the ground.
He immediately surrendered after that.
Ford attempted to provide a false identification to deputies, and when that was debunked, he doubled down and attempted to use another fake ID.
He was not successful.
Once properly identified due to a unique tattoo on his neck, it was determined that Ford was wanted out of three different jurisdictions, was found to be intoxicated, and was in possession of multiple controlled substances.
Further investigation determined that both Ford and Simms were wanted on outstanding warrants.
Ford was charged with:
Two counts of second offense identity theft;
- Two counts of providing false identity to law enforcement;
- Three counts of possession of controlled substance;
- Eluding law enforcement;
- Obstruction of justice;
- Public intoxication;
- Unlawful name change.
He was also served on numerous outstanding warrants.
Simms was also served on her outstanding warrants.
Both are being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
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