Police Find Burglaring Group By Following Their Trail of Candy Wrappers
A trail of empty candy wrappers was the downfall of a group of criminals burglarizing homes and vehicles over a 3-day period.
"The offenders were burglarizing homes and entering autos in an area close by to where they lived,” said Sgt. Toby Nix with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspects reportedly were using a wooded area to cut through between the neighborhoods they had targeted for multiple burglaries. After they had some spoils from their thefts, they would stash it in the woods and cover the items with leaves.
Among the stolen loot was apparently a bag of mini Milky Way chocolate bars, which inevitably led to the group's arrest after investigators found and followed a trail of discarded candy wrappers that led through the woods right up to the house of one of the suspects.
Police were able to link the group to the burglary of at least two houses, and breaking into at least five vehicles.
The group of nine arrested included Gerald Bennett, Ryan Murrow, Amber Brooks, Kevin Atkins, Alan Caswell, Brooke Fields, Tracy Hendrix and one juvenile. Marvin Rachala was later arrested by Heard County authorities.
Bennett was charged with burglary and three counts of theft by taking.
Caswell was charged with burglary, marijuana possession, and two counts of theft by taking. Murrow was charged with marijuana possession, possession of drug-related objects, and thefts by receiving stolen property. Fields was charged with methamphetamine possession and possession of drug-related objects.
Brooks was charged with obstruction of officers, and Atkins was charged with methamphetamine possession. Hendrix was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug-related objects, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Rachalla was charged with in Heard County with theft by receiving stolen property.
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