Meridian men arrested in Newton fireworks theft

Published 1:18 pm Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Meridian men were among four arrested Monday in connection with a theft at a fireworks stand in Newton, Mississippi.

In a press release, interim Newton Police Chief McKenzie Patrick said officers responded to the stand on Eastside Drive around 2 a.m. after being alerted to the theft. Although no one was there, officers continued to patrol and saw two cars pull up to the stand around 3:30 a.m.

“As officers converged on the area, the two vehicles began to flee in opposite directions,” Patrick said.

One of the vehicles got on Interstate 20 and headed toward Meridian while the other headed west on Highway 80 toward Hickory, Patrick said. Newton police officers were able to stop the vehicle heading toward Hickory, he said, and Meridian Police Department and Lauderdale County Sheriffs Department helped stop the car heading toward Meridian.

Officers were able to recover most of the stolen fireworks as well, Patrick said.

Jaquavion Hunter, 21, and Jeremiah Ward, 19, both of Meridian were arrested and have charges pending. Also arrested were Aaron Jones and Jylin Carpenter, Patrick said.

“We will not tolerate this type of behavior in the City of Newton. The safety and security of our local businesses remains one of our forefront priorities. People from outside our community who believe they can come here to commit crimes, think again,” he said. “Proud of our officers for their hard work and to our neighboring agencies, Meridian Police Department, Lauderdale County Sheriff Department and Newton County Sheriff Department, for their assistance.”