A homeless man entered a guilty plea to burglary in Jones County Superior Court and received a sentence of 10 years on probation.
Anthony Upshaw was in court July 11 to enter his plea to burglary in the first degree. He was represented by public defender Tom O’Donnell, and the case was prosecuted by Jacob Mitchell, an intern with the Jones County District Attorney’s Office.
Superior Court Judge Terry Massey accepted the plea.
A report of Upshaw’s arrest by Jones County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Zachary Allen stated he was dispatched to a residence on Oak Valley Drive May 13 in reference to an alarm call.
Allen said, when he arrived at the home, he began checking the exterior from the front porch and then began walking counterclockwise around the house. When he noticed the master bedroom window open with the curtain hanging out, the deputy called for backup.
Allen said JCSO Sgt. Matthew Johnson and Deputy Albert Elliot arrived, and movement was believed to be heard coming from inside the residence. The deputies forced entry into the front door and announced their presence.
The residence was cleared, and officers waited for the homeowner to arrive to check for anything missing. Following the initial search by the homeowner, nothing was found missing.
Allen said Dep. Steven Asytek was requested for tracking dog purposes. He said all units began tracking from the master bedroom and worked their way through the woods with no success.
Allen said a short time later he was notified of a male walking down Mountain Springs Road who appeared to be homeless. He said deputies responded to find Upshaw, who said he had been walking for several days.
A check through the crime computer showed Upshaw had an active warrant through Bibb County for failure to register as a sex offender. The suspect was taken into custody at that time.
Allen said Upshaw admitted entering the residence on Oak Valley Drive by removing a screen from a window with a screwdriver. He left the house when the alarm went off but went back in when he realized he left his bookbag inside.
