Smash and grab burglaries can cover a range of crimes, one of the larger of which is driving through the wall of a building.
Jones County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dylan Joiner was dispatched to a store on Shurling Drive at approximately 5 a.m., Aug. 14, in reference to an alarm call. Joiner said when he arrived at the scene, he observed damage to the store front as it appeared someone drove into the store.
Joiner said the store clerk was called to the scene and the owner of the store contacted. The deputy said, while processing the scene, it appeared a vehicle was driven through the storefront, causing damage to the store shelves, walls, store products and the ATMs that were against the wall.
Joiner said the clerk stated that one of the ATMs was missing. He said it was determined that a steel cable was found wrapped around the ATM that was left. The report states that, while the deputy was attempting to secure a GPS for the missing ATM, he was informed that the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office had found an ATM that was dumped in the middle of the road on Jordan Avenue.
The ATM was retrieved and taken into evidence.
In an Aug. 19 interview, JCSO Investigator Lt. Kenny Gleaton said the store that was the victim of the smash and grab burglary had only been reopened for a few days when the crime occurred.
He noted that the criminals involved got little for their trouble.
“The ATM they took was an old one. It had no money in it; they got nothing for their efforts,” Gleaton said. “It just caused a lot of damage.”
The investigator said officers are putting together video footage in order to identify those involved. He said the damage to the store indicated they had to drive three-quarters of the way inside the building. The investigator said far as investigators know, the only thing they took was the ATM.
“They picked the wrong one. They didn’t get anything but practice with that one,” Gleaton said.
He said the investigation is in its early stages. Due to the ATM being found in Bibb County, the case is being coordinated with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
“We suspect the vehicle involved is a pickup truck, and it was backed into the store,” he said.
Gleaton said anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Jones County Sheriff’s Office at 478-986-3489. Information can also be shared using the ‘submit a tip’ option on the JCSO smartphone app.
