Smith County man arrested for criminal mischief

TYLER — A Smith County man is accused of criminal mischief following a theft from a local church. Officials say on the evening of June 5, a suspect entered the property of The Carpenter’s Baptist Church in Flint. Under the cover of darkness, they say the suspect dismantled a total of five five-ton A/C units and stripped out the copper wire. The damage resulted in a total replacement cost of $34,250 for replacement units. According to a news release, the suspect was identified as Michael James Hudson, 20, of Pine Trails Shores. Authorities say they found the suspect vehicle at Hudson’s home and also found that he had sold a large amount of copper wiring to a Tyler scrap yard on June 6.

On Thursday, deputies were in Pine Trails Shores checking the area for Hudson. According to the release, one deputy saw Hudson drive by in a known vehicle headed toward Hwy. 155. When the deputy pulled in behind the vehicle, Hudson reportedly sped through the stop sign at Hwy. 155 and headed south. Officials say the deputy did catch up with Hudson, who was arrested for the criminal mischief warrant. Hudson was jailed with a bond of $300,000 on the criminal mischief charge and also charged with possession of a drug test falsification device with a bond of $500.