The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office arrested two suspected burglars over the weekend after a home was broken into on Lake Douglas Road Saturday night.
An alert neighbor noticed a dark colored car pull to the side of the road in front of a home on Lake Douglas Road Saturday night and turn the flashers on. Because there have been reports of home burglaries in the Climax area with the same “broken down car” component, residents in the area have been on high alert. The vigilance paid off Saturday night.
Here’s What Happened
According to Captain Terry Phillips with the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, the alert neighbor was home alone and called her husband at work to tell him what she was seeing. Although he wasn’t able to leave work, he was able to call a friend who lived down the road a bit and was able to drive by the home and see if anything was out of the ordinary. Evidently, the passing car alerted the burglars, who fled the home through the front door.
The eyewitness called 911 and attempted to follow the fleeing burglars for 1-2 miles heading toward Bainbridge, but lost them due to the high rate of speed. However, DCSO Sergeant Tim Williamson was responding to the call from Bainbridge and met the car matching the caller’s description. Sgt. Williamson turned on his blue lights and turned around to pursue the vehicle, but in the course of changing direction (along with the car’s high rate of speed), immediately lost sight of the car. However, a short distance later, he spotted the car wrecked in the front yard of the Mt. Nebo Church.
Although the car was empty, visible in the driver’s floorboard was a driver’s license belonging to a 17 year old with a Climax address. The car was also registered to Steve Addison from Climax. Armed with that information, Investigator Brian Donalson made contact with the car’s owner who stated that he had purchased the car and given it to his 17 year old son three weeks earlier, but hadn’t seen him since.
Back at the scene of the burglary, the homeowners stated there were two things missing: a flat screen television and a large pickle jar full of change. Openly visible in the wrecked car? A flat screen television and change scattered throughout.
On Sunday, Mr. Addison called Captain Phillips to let him know that he had found his son. Captain Phillips asked him to bring the 17 year old in for questioning, during which the young man admitted to the burglary and named an accomplice – 18 year old Shawntavis Peterson. Peterson admitted to his involvement as well – he claimed to be the getaway driver – and named two more individuals that were supposedly involved. At this time, those two individuals have yet to be interviewed.
“This case was solved by a combination of concerned citizens and law enforcement working together” — Captain Terry Phillips, DCSO
Both suspects were arrested and booked into the Decatur County Jail on burglary charges.
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