A Bainbridge man will be charged in connection with a string of car break-ins after he admitted involvement, according to the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office.
Javarrus Montell Lawrence, 24, of 105 Dow Jones Road, Bainbridge, is currently being held at the Decatur County Jail on a parole violation. Lawrence will be charged with several counts of entering an auto, a felony charge, said Investigator Ken Davidson with the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigator Davidson said he recently interviewed Lawrence at the Decatur County Jail about an unrelated incident. During the interview, Lawrence said he was involved in break-ins of at least 21 vehicles, some of them located within Bainbridge city limits and others within the unincorporated Decatur County, the investigator said.
Decatur County Sheriff’s deputies took Lawrence riding around Decatur County, and he identified the various locations at which he said break-ins took place, Davidson said. Those locations were matched up with victims’ reports to law enforcement.
“[Lawrence] said he went around to different homes within a neighborhood, trying to open the vehicles’ doors,” the Sheriff’s investigator said. “Most of the break-ins Lawrence is connected to happened in 2014, but a few are from late 2013.”
Davidson said Lawrence did not admit to any break-ins involving the smashing of vehicle windows, which has been a pattern in a number of the break-ins reported locally in 2014.
Even though Lawrence will likely remain in jail for the time being because of his parole violation, Decatur County Sheriff’s deputies will continue to be on alert for auto break-ins, which have been frequently reported this year.
“We will continue to look for other potential suspects,” said Davidson.
The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office has previously said its deputies are sharing information with Bainbridge Public Safety officers, in an attempt to catch any thieves.
How to prevent a thief from hitting your car or truck
The Number 1 tip Investigator Davidson said he tells citizens is to “Lock your car doors.” That’s because local law enforcement have seen previous cases of thieves targeting cars parked closely together in a business parking lot or a neighborhood, pulling on door handles and moving on when they find a vehicle’s doors are locked.
The other reminder Davidson offers is to “keep things out of sight.” He said people should remove anything of value from their car when they leave it unattended.
“Ipads, purses, cell phones, computers, guns–none of that stuff should be left within a vehicle overnight,” Davidson said.
Another reason not to leave a purse or wallet in your vehicle is that if a thief breaks in and takes them, not only can they get your money, they can get your driver’s license / ID card, Social Security cards and credit or debit cards. All of that will have to be replaced and it could also lead to identity theft or unapproved bank charges.
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