At 9:28 p.m., Thursday the day-long search ended for Robby Joe Toney when Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers apprehended him walking alone along Tremont Road, between the ranger station and the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. The road intersects with Laurel Creek Road about one-eighth of a mile from the Townsend Wye in Blount County.
Toney, the fugitive that fled into the dense forest on foot yesterday morning from the Schoolhouse Gap Trailhead, was taken to the Blount County Jail last night and was charged with three Federal misdemeanor counts: interfering with agency function, illegal camping, and improper food storage. Other charges may be pending by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Fifteen law enforcement rangers continued the search last night, in the woods, along the roads, and at the entrances to Laurel Creek Road and Cades Cove. “The Park’s Tactical Tracking Team predicted that Toney would come out of the woods during the night and onto one of the roadways and that’s just what he did,” said Incident Commander Sharon Hutowski.  We strategically planned to have our 15 member-team in the areas in which he was most likely to be traveling, particularly at night with no resources.” She continued, “As always we were appreciative for the assistance by the Blount County Sheriff’s Deputies and Canine Unit earlier in the day, she continued.  Our law enforcement and medical services counterparts in the surrounding communities provide a great service to the Park.”
Chief Ranger Jim Northup said, “We are very pleased with the outcome of this incident.  Our law enforcement personnel did an excellent job in planning and executing this operation to catch this fugitive as quickly as possible. While we did not believe he was an immediate danger to visitors, nevertheless we were concerned over the fact that a wanted man who fled law enforcement officials was hiding out in the backcountry.”
Toney is at the Blount County Jail and has an initial appearance today before a Federal Magistrate in Knoxville on the three petty offenses.Tonyea Cabe Baines, the woman with him, was taken to the Blount County Jail yesterday and was released on a $2,000 bond that same day.

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