Wigged out?: 12th suspect from warrant roundup arrested

It could be said that suspect No. 12 from last week’s felony drug warrant roundup who was sought by the Hood County Sheriff’s Office wigged out — but that didn’t prevent him from being tracked down Monday.

On Monday, Terry Lynn Westerman, one of two suspects still at large after the Dec. 7 roundup that resulted in the arrest of 11 individuals, was found — wearing a wig, apparently in an attempt to hide his identity. Westerman was paddling in a canoe on the Brazos River when he was spotted by HCSO deputies responding to an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip. That’s according to HCSO Lt. Johnny Rose.

Westerman, a 54-year-old Cleburne man, was less than 200 feet from the Somervell County line when he was first seen, but was taken into custody by Somervell County deputies at about 12:30 p.m. The arrest was made in Somervell County, after they received an agency assist call from the HCSO personnel, Rose said.

“Westerman ignored investigators’ commands to come to shore and paddled away toward the Somervell County line,” Rose stated in an email to the Hood County News. “Westerman didn’t understand that cell phones are faster than a canoe and Somervell County Sheriff’s Office deputies intercepted Westerman near Camp Arrowhead, which is down river.”

Rose stated that Westerman was found in possession of more than “six grams of methamphetamine” and has a warrant out of Hood County for a first-degree felony count of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.

“We could tell it’s him, even though he’s got that curly wig on,” said Lt. Rose, who was among the deputies searching among the wooded area along the banks of the Brazos. The Crime Stoppers tipster information indicated that Westerman was “hiding on the Brazos River near the Hood/Somervell County line.”

Rose added, “They nailed it. He was in the area they said.”

Rose indicated that the artificial curly top that the short-haired Westerman had covering his head appeared to be a woman’s wig. Rose added that the wig was a “nice touch but didn’t work.”

For now, Westerman is in the Somervell County Jail, Rose said.

The last of the 13 suspects who were previously named by the HCSO when the warrant roundup was announced last week — Hood County resident Cassandra Ward — remains at large. If you have information, contact the Hood County Sheriff’s Office (non-emergency number, 817-579-3316) or submit a tip to Hood County Crime Stoppers.”

The number to call to submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers is 817-573-TIPS (8477). Crime tips can also be submitted online at http://www.hoodcountycrimestoppers.com/ (also anonymously). Upon arrest and indictment, a Crime Stoppers tipster could receive a reward of up to $1,000 through the program.