Three arrested in pre-dawn smash-and-grabs
Jim West
ALBANY, Ga. — City and county police joined forces in the early morning arrest of “smash-and-grab” burglary suspects. According to police, the two forced entry events have been shown to be related.
Officers with the Dougherty County Police Department responded to the first burglary around 3 a.m. Tuesday at the Stop and Shop convenience store at 700 Cordele Road, where a witness observed three males leaving the scene in a white car of undetermined make, said Chad Kirkpatrick, detective with the DCP. According to Kirkpatrick, the Plexiglas door of the Stop and Shop had been forced open with a “cylinder-shaped concrete block.” Lottery tickets and cigars were believed to have taken from that location, Kirkpatrick said.
About an hour after the Cordele Road burglary, Albany police officers responded to a break-in call at the Express Lane, on 3900 Gillionville Road, police officials say. According to the APD, Lt. Bryan LaVoie followed a white vehicle, later identified as a Chevrolet Malibu, leaving the area and traveling south on Lockett Station Road. LaVoie followed the vehicle, keeping it in sight until assistance could arrive, police officials said.
Officials said the occupants eventually realized they were being followed and drove into a wooded area at the intersection of Lockett Station and West Oakridge Roads, damaging their vehicle. Kirkpatrick said that although the three suspects fled on foot into a nearby wooded area, one of them was quickly captured by the DCP officers. The two remaining suspects were later apprehended by APD officers.
Kirkpatrick said lottery tickets, cartons of cigarettes and other items which may have come from either of the break-in sites were found inside the Malibu. The car was towed to the APD. After extensive interviews, police officials said they believed the suspects were responsible for both burglaries, Kirkpatrick said.
R.L. Davis, 20; Anthony Dawson, 17, and Nicholas Davis, 20, have each been charged by the DCP with burglary in the 2nd degree and theft by taking, Kirkpatrick said, adding other charges were pending.
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