GRAY POLICE DEPARTMENT
An arrest was made Monday morning in an entering autos case involving neighborhoods in Gray appears to be part of a theft ring hitting areas in South Georgia and even reported in Alabama.
Gray Police Department Chief Adam Lowe said in a phone interview that GPD Officer Josh Josey and Lt. Thaxton Pennamon met members of the U.S. Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force Monday morning in Albany. Lowe said Landon Tyler Stafford, 21, of Albany was taken into custody and is now residing at the Jones County Law Enforcement Center. The chief said Stafford is facing charges of 25 counts of entering auto, one count of felony burglary, one count of felony burglary in second degree and 11 counts of felony financial card theft. He said warrants have been taken out on another individual on similar charges, and investigators are working to identify two others who participated in the crimes.
Lowe said the arrest came about after the marshals received information about Stafford’s whereabouts.
The crimes for which Stafford is charged took place in the early morning hours of Feb. 1 and were discovered as the result of a normally quiet dog who alerted its owner.
The complainant said it was 3:30 a.m. when she looked outside because her dog would not stop barking. Reports of the break-ins were received by GPD on the streets of Brookwood, Pinewood and Cedarwood.
When the complainant looked outside, she said she saw the light was on in her van and thought that was odd. With a second look, she said she saw three, maybe four men all dressed in black, going through her van and her husband’s truck.
The complainant called for her husband and started yelling at the men. The husband gave chase, and the thieves ran into a wooded area.
A post on the Gray Police Department Facebook page stated several vehicles inside the city were broken into in the early morning hours.
“Several items of value were taken out of the vehicles, including a firearm. Some of the vehicles were damaged by the suspects trying to gain entry. We believe the suspects are from the Albany area and are suspected in similar crimes in three other Georgia counties. We are working with surrounding law enforcement agencies to apprehend those individuals responsible for the crimes.”
A follow-up post stated that GPD investigators identified two of the suspects, and multiple warrants have been issued for their arrests. The investigation continues to identify other individuals involved.
A report of the incident by GPD Officer Brad James states he was dispatched to a residence on Brookwood Drive at 3:30 a.m. in reference to entering auto. He said he was advised that three black males dressed all in black were going through the complainant’s vehicles.
James said he made contact with the complainant and was told the suspects were chased to the backyard and into a wooded area.
GPD Officer Paul Hathaway also responded. He reported that he checked the backyard, wooded area and outbuildings but had no contact. James said he joined the search and found a camouflage hunting bow and black backpack with a purse and other items in the driveway of a nearby house.
He said he returned to the complainant, and she told him a change purse and two debit cards were missing from the van. She said nothing appeared to be missing from her husband’s truck.
The officer said the purse he found with the backpack had identification in it from a residence on Pinewood. He said during that same time, he received a call from dispatch that the debit cards stolen out of the van were being used at a Texaco, that turned out to be in Gordon.
The officer said, when talking to another victim in the neighborhood, he found who the bow belonged to and was able to return it. He said he also returned the purse to its owner.
James said windows were busted out of several other vehicles in the neighborhood.
The chief said when the suspects left Gray, they stopped in Gordon to get gas and used one of the cards they had stolen. He said the videos from those transactions helped with identifying the vehicle used as well as the identity of the suspects.
Lowe said the thieves have hit Rochelle, Montezuma and multiple jurisdictions in South Georgia and the GPD is sharing information to help solve those crimes also. He said Stafford was previously sentenced to 10 years for aggravated battery and was released from prison in December after serving three years.
The GPD asks anyone with any additional information about the crimes to call the Gray Police Department at 478-986-5554.
