Caught red-handed

An attentive police officer and a watchful neighbor combined to catch two people involved in several break-ins and thefts in Standing Oaks Subdivision last week.

At 3:32 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, police were dispatched to a residence on Charles Street. A man there said he saw a man and woman breaking into a vehicle. Ironically, when he described the vehicle, the police officer recognized it as being the same one involved in two reports from earlier Thursday night. The police officer returned to the residence on It'll Do Road where the truck had been earlier and didn't see it until he turned the corner onto Slack Street and saw it behind the residence.

Police interviewed the two suspects and arrested Christin Elizabeth Griffith, 27, Rogers, and Cody Turner, 25, Pea Ridge, for breaking and entering, theft of property and residential burglary. Turner was also cited for terroristic threatening because he threatened the police officer.

The resident in Standing Oaks said he had been outside smoking when he saw the truck driving down the road without headlights on. He said he saw the two people using a flashlight attempt to get into a vehicle, get into another vehicle and take items out. They left on foot, he said, according to the police report, and he got the license plate number from their truck. When they returned, he confronted them and the woman told him she was cleaning out her truck.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the two opened a garage door at one of the residences and removed items, thus constituting the burglary charge. A truck at a residence on Linder Street was damaged with heavy scratch marks and gouges and damage from where someone apparently attempted to pry the doors open. The letters F and U were scratched in the paint of the truck.

Throughout the day, police received numerous reports from residents of the area of break-ins and missing property.

Many items were recovered including a purse, lawn chairs, a chain saw, hedge trimmer, propane tank, axe, camera tripod, leaf blower. The 2002 white Ford Ranger was impounded.

"Dedicated police work and tips from residents led us to make these arrests," Police Chief Tim Ledbetter said. "Don't leave valuables in the car. Keep the doors locked. It's good to keep outside lights on to illuminate the porch and driveway to deter criminals."

"Thank you to all the people who were conscientious enough to notify us," he concluded.

General News on 08/27/2014