By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News.
Van Alstyne Police activities during the period between Sept. 14 and 21 included the following incidents which resulted in arrests. PD Lt. Steven Hayslip made the reports as the Department’s Public Information Officer, and included the informational background on the Grand Jury Indictment of one Van Alstyne resident.
Indictment — During the most recent Grayson County Grand Jury session, Sept. 10, the Grand Jury indicted Van Alstyne resident Layne Simon on the following charges: Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 14, Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child (2 counts), Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact, and Indecency with a Child by Exposure.
The indictment follows an investigation initiated by the Van Alstyne PD in June 2025,
After school teacher reported suspected sexual abuse involving a child, VAPD launched an immediate and thorough investigation in response to the report. As a result, detectives established probable cause, and an arrest warrant was issued for the suspect. He was subsequently taken into custody and formally indicted on the above charges.
The suspect remains in Grayson County Jail in lieu of more than a total of $1,000,000 in bail set.
“Due to the sensitive nature of this case and the involvement of a minor, no additional details are being released at this time,” said Police Chief Tim Barnes.
Anyone with additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Van Alstyne Police Department. That phone number is 903-482-5251. The dispatcher answering the phone will direct the caller(s) to the investigating officer.
An indictment is not proof of guilt, but is the result of the Grand Jury believing the evidence they heard is enough to have the case advance to the courts.
Sept . 14 —About 8:40 pm, police officers made a traffic stop on 1001 W Van Alstyne Parkway, initiated after officers observed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign. Upon contacting the driver, a Calero, OK, man, they smelled the odor of marijuana, which gave them probable cause for a search of the vehicle. During the search, officers found marijuana, THC edibles, THC vapes, and THC Oil. He was placed under arrest On a charge of Possession of Marijuana =>2oz <4oz.
Sept. 15 — At nearly 10 pm, police officers made a stopped a vehicle on Henry Hynds and FM 121. They made the stop because the vehicle was being driven on public roadways with defective equipment, or more namely taillights. After getting the driver’s name, they found there was a warrant out for his arrest. They jailed the suspect, a Tom Bean resident on the warrant, which, according to Grayson County Jail records, charged him with Theft of Property valued between $100-$750 and issued by County Court at Law No. 2. Bail was set at $1,500, and the suspect paid that with a surety bond on Sept. 16 and was released.
Sept. 16 — Just after 4 in the morning, police helped a woman who had the hood up on her car while parked on the highway’s shoulder. Hayslip said that while they talked with the passenger in the car, a Ringold, OK, woman, she admitted to them that there was marijuana inside the vehicle. They conducted a probable-cause search, which uncovered methamphetamine (PG 1 substance), Diazepam (PG 3 substance), and marijuana. She was placed under arrest on charges of Possession of Controlled Substance =>1g <4g (Methamphetamine); Possession of a Controlled Substance PG 3 <28g (Diazepam), and Possession of Marijuana <2oz
At the jail, a magistrate set her bail at total of $34,000 and, as of Tuesday, she remains incarcerated.
Sept. 18 — Shortly after midnight, officers initiated a traffic stop on US 75 and Farmington. The traffic stop was initiated after officers saw the vehicle traveling 82 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. Upon making contact with the driver, a resident of Sherman according to the police report and of Mead, OK, per the Grayson County Jail database.
They found an outstanding warrant against the suspect and jailed him on it. The warrant charged him with Criminal Mischief bet ween $$750-$2,500. Bail was set at $2,500 and the suspect paid that in surety bonds for his release.
Sept. 20 — Officers were dispatched to the 1700 block of McDougall Creek in regard to a disturbance. They talked with people involved and determined one of them, a Van Alstyne resident, had assaulted a family member by blocking that person’s breathing. Police jailed him on a charge of Assault (FV) Impede Breath.
Bail was set at $20,000 and the suspect paid that with a surety bond with restrictions placed on it, later the same day.
Sept. 20 — About 8:30 pm, police made a traffic stop on U.S. 75 at Farmington, after seeing the car being driven without maintaining a single lane. When the offices turned on the emergency lights, the driver initially failed to stop and they saw him throw a beer out of the window. Then, he pulled over for their red lights.
The driver was a McKinney made who smelled of an intoxicating beverage. The police had him go through Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, after which they jailed him on charges of Driving While Intoxicated and Tampering w/Evidence.