The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office newly-formed warrant squad, known as the Criminal Apprehension Team or CAT, proved its worth Tuesday when they located two fugitives on the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s most wanted list.

Crystal Ann Bare, 34, with a home address on Holland Street in Kannapolis, and Josh Michael Jones, 31, with a home address of 380 Homeless Lane in Salisbury, were the targets of this investigation.

Bare was under investigation by the RCSO Criminal Investigations Unit as well as the Special Investigations Unit and had numerous outstanding warrants, including five for obtaining property by false pretense, and one count each for financial card theft, felony violation of probation, possession with intent to sell/deliver counterfeit controlled substance, selling/deliver of counterfeit controlled substance and possession with intent to sell/deliver controlled substance.

Jones also had multiple outstanding warrants, including five for identity theft and obtaining property by false pretense and one each for financial card theft and felony violation of probation.

With the assistance of the State Bureau of Investigations and the NC DPS, CAT and the RCSO Crime Reduction Unit, found Jones on Monday at Walmart on Arlington Drive during a surveillance operation. He was arrested without incident.

With information obtained during Jones’ arrest, the Criminal Apprehension Team and Criminal Investigations Unit found Bare as a passenger in a car on Kerr Street on Tuesday. The vehicle, driven by Jesse Michael Link, 34, was parked in front of the N.C. DPS office building, as Link was waiting on a female associate to finish her probation meeting.

When deputies converged on the vehicle, Bare reportedly got out of the car and tried to hide her identity with a hat and a COVID face mask. When she realized she had been identified, deputies said she tried to run but was quickly apprehended at the intersection of Kerr and Lee streets. Both Bare and one deputy suffered minor injuries when she was caught.

Once Bare was in custody, Link was identified and an active arrest warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia was uncovered and he was arrested.

Bare has a criminal record including convictions on possession of drug paraphernalia, breaking and entering and felony violation of probation. Jones has convictions for breaking and entering, obtaining property by false pretense, possession of stolen property, possession of schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bare was arraigned and held on a $90,000 secured bond. Jones was arraigned and received a $20,000 secured bond. Link was arraigned and received a $1,000 secured bond.