Jackson charged with vehicle theft in family dispute.
Jackson
A Columbia High track coach is away from the team this week following his arrest over the weekend.
Jamel Jackson, a 24-year-old from Lake City, was arrested Saturday for grand theft of a motor vehicle, dealing in stolen property and making a false report after being accused of selling a family member’s car to a scrap yard for $200.
Jackson, who was hired as the CHS boys track coach in December and does not teach in the district, reported his arrest to CHS Principal Trey Hosford on Monday morning, Superintendent of Schools Lex Carswell said Monday, following Columbia County Schools policy. All employees must report arrests within 48 hours.
Carswell said Jackson is no longer helping with the track team, pending the resolution of the legal issues.
“He’s, obviously, not working with the track team until this gets cleared up,” Carswell said.
According to a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office report, one of Jackson’s family members spoke with a deputy on Feb. 2 about her vehicle being stolen. The victim told the deputy that she had an agreement with Jackson in October to leave her car, a 2010 bronze Kia Forte, at his residence off SE Country Club Road.
However, the victim said she got into an altercation with other family members on Jan. 26 that didn’t involve Jackson, but based on threats the others had made about her vehicle, which didn’t have a motor, the victim decided to have it towed from the property.
The report states when the victim arrived at the residence on Feb. 2, the vehicle wasn’t there.
Jackson told the deputy on a phone call that the property owner didn’t like the car being there and wanted it removed. The property owner, who the report calls Timmy, admitted to deputies that he had the truck towed by AB Export & Recycling, a scrap yard on NE Bascom Norris Road.
The victim told deputies that when she talked to a worker at AB Export, she found out the car was sold to them for $200.
According to the report, when deputies spoke to Jackson again on Saturday at CHS, he admitted to calling AB Export and having it towed away. He also told deputies he received $200 from the company to take the car. When asked if he questioned why he was paid to tow away the car, the report states Jackson told deputies he did not and took the money.
Jackson also told deputies he didn’t have a bill of sale, but when shown a picture of the bill of sale, he said it wasn’t his handwriting or signature.