COLUMBUS – A man who was being sought as person of interest in the shooting deaths of his mother and girlfriend outside Mt. Vernon last week is in custody.
Travis Bonham, 31, was arrested Sunday after a Mt. Vernon police officer tailed him into Licking County, Knox County Sheriff David Shaffer said.
Authorities had been searching for Bonham since last Wednesday morning, when the bodies of Sandra Stelk, 50, and Jaime Barber, 23, were found in a home near Mt. Vernon. Stelk is Bonham’s mother and Barber was described as his girlfriend.
Both had been shot to death, authorities said.
Police recovered two cars they believed Bonham (right) had been driving but had not caught up with him until 2:54 p.m. Sunday, when a Mount Vernon policed officer D. McElroy spotted a vehicle southbound on S. Main Street with a male passenger who appeared to have numerous tattoos, such as Bonham wore, Shaffer said.
As the vehicle passed, the man pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt and attempted to avoid the officer. The officer followed the vehicle south on State Route 661 until additional officers could respond to the area.
With the assistance of deputies from Licking and Knox counties, Shaffer says the vehicle was eventually stopped on State Route 62 in Licking County and Bonham was arrested without incident.
The driver of the vehicle — Ashli Price, of Mount Vernon — was also arrested and her driver’s license currently suspended, Shaffer said.
Prior to the arrest an Adult Parole Authority officer had been talking with Bonham on the phone, attempting to arrange for his surrender, Shaffer said.