By Adam Ghassemi
COTTONTOWN, Tenn. – James Certacci knew something was wrong early
Thursday morning when so many sheriff's deputies started showing up near his
home.
"You don't think of it out here in the country, man, like home
invasion. You've got to be kidding me. Especially up here," he said.
He only knew two young women broke into Chris Steinforth's home just down
the road.
One of the women, 22-year-old Jessica Sartor, had been there before.
Investigators say she took 20-year-old Whitney Cartwright inside through a side
door she knew would be unlocked. The pair went right into the bedroom where
Steinforth was sleeping. Steinforth is Sartor's grandfather.
"They were looking to score some money to go out and buy some drugs
with it," said Sumner County Sheriff Sonny Weatherford who says Steinforth
jumped to defend his home, not knowing he was defending it from his own family.
"He punched her hard enough to knock some teeth out," Weatherford
said referring to Steinforth's struggle with Cartwright.
That's when Sartor snuck up from behind.
"She hit him with a brick in the back of the head trying to get him off
of her friend," Weatherford went on to say.
Steinforth held Cartwright until police arrived. His granddaughter fled the
scene.
Investigators believe both women along with 21-year-old Spenser Linville and
20-year-old James Hoey were trying to steal money to buy drugs.
Neighbors say they are all lucky the home invasion didn't turn deadly.
"Good for him. I would have shot them," said neighbor Blake
Certacci.
All four face aggravated burglary. Sartor also faces aggravated assault for
bashing her grandfather over the head.
"It's sad that a family member would turn on a grandfather, and use him
as prey, and try to take money from him," Weatherford said.
Deputies arrested Linville and Hoey waiting in a car nearby. They picked-up
Sartor walking down Highway 25.
Mr. Steinforth declined to comment from his home Thursday.
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