A 27-year-old Livingston man, Derek Edward Jackson, reportedly lied to police during an arrest on Dec. 20, claiming to be his 29-year-old brother, Jesse Whipple, according to a statement from Liberty County Sheriff Bobby Rader.
Jackson was arrested by the sheriff’s office after deputies responded to a call for assistance from Cleveland Police Department regarding a burglary of a motor vehicle along FM 2025 (Coldspring Road) in the Cleveland area.
“The victim of the burglary attempted to chase the suspect. The suspect ran into a wooded area and the victim stopped chasing him,” the sheriff said. “LCSO Deputies John Bennett and Zack Harkness arrived and entered the heavily-wooded area in an attempt to locate the suspect.”
After a near half-hour search, the deputies reportedly found the suspect hiding inside a hollow tree at the water’s edge. When questioned by deputies, the man identified himself as Whipple. After being booked into the jail, it was discovered that Jackson had given false information about his identity.
Jackson was arrested on two outstanding warrants for Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and two warrants for Evading out of Polk County. In addition to Burglary of a Vehicle, he also is facing a charge in Liberty County for Failure to Identify-Fugitive from Justice.
