Suspect arrested for theft after identification by trail cam

A Haddock man was charged with theft by taking after being identified with the help of a trail camera located near a victimized hunting camp.

Charles Franklin Cliatt, 42, was arrested Feb. 2 and charged with theft by taking misdemeanor.

A report of the incident leading to Cliatt’s arrest by Jones County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Thomas Sullivan stated he was given a number from dispatch to call the manager of a deer camp. He said the manager advised him that he woke up to find a picture from a trail camera near the camp. The complainant said he lives in Warner Robins, but the deer camp is in Jones County on Blountsville Road.

The complainant gave Sullivan the location of the camp and was able to send pictures of the man on the deer camp property. The officer said the pictures show the man stealing one of the trail cameras.

Sullivan said the suspect was wearing crocs, and he could see tattoos on his legs. He said the man appeared to be on a four-wheeler. The complainant said a friend who lives near the deer camp was able to identify the suspect as Cliatt, who lives through the woods from the camp.

The deputy said he turned the case over to investigations.

Sheriff Butch Reece posted about the arrest on the JCSO Facebook page. He said the department was notified Feb. 2 that a theft occurred on a hunting property located off Highway 129 in the Miller Lake area.

“The property manager provided photographs of the suspect that were collected by a trail camera. Our investigation led to the arrest of Charles Franklin Cliatt, who lives near the hunting camp. The investigation indicated that Cliatt accessed the property on a four-wheeler during the early morning hours.”

The sheriff said investigations are ongoing into additional similar crimes that have occurred recently.

“Now that deer season is over, most hunting properties are not being frequented as often. I would suggest that any sportsmen check their properties frequently and remove any items that would be an easy target for thieves,” he stated.