Burglars caught based on citizen tips

By Brennan Leathers (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Published Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Decatur County Sheriff’s deputies arrested four area teens after citizen tips helped lead to their capture in two separate burglary cases on Monday.

At about 10:20 on Monday morning, deputies responded near the intersection of Fowlstown Road (also known as Georgia 309 South) and Country Club Road, after a witness stated she saw two men walking around behind a home on Country Club Road.

Deputy Brent Trammell rode the area and walked the woods near the home the witness had mentioned, but could not find anyone. A short time later, Deputy Trammell was again dispatched to the home on Country Club Road after two men were seen on its front porch.

Trammell noticed the front door was cracked open and as he approached, one of the suspects—wearing bandannas to cover his face and head—began to peek around the front door. The suspect saw the deputy and turned back into the house; however, Trammell ran around the house and noticed two men exit the home’s back door. While one suspect ran into some nearby woods, Trammell chased the other down Country Club Road, yelling for him to stop. As the suspect—later identified as Derrick Terrell Butler, 18, of 107 Harper Lane in Fowlstown—attempted to climb over a fence, Trammell grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to the ground before handcuffing him.

The other suspect—identified as Nelson Terrell Alexander, 18, of 4261 Fowlstown Road in Fowlstown—had returned to where Trammell had left his patrol car and he too, was handcuffed and arrested. It was later discovered that a shotgun and two boxes of ammo had been moved from where they were usually kept in the house.

Both teens are charged with burglary and misdemeanor obstruction of an officer.

Two more burglary arrests made

Later on Monday, Sheriff’s deputies arrested two other teens after burglaries were uncovered at two residences on the portion of Old Faceville Road that runs east of Georgia 97 South, according to Investigator Julian Crowder.

Investigator Crowder said one of the homeowners had come home and looked through a window and saw two males inside. Both suspects took off running but were captured a short time later after Chief Deputy Jim Morris spotted them exiting some woods along Jackson Town Road.

The suspects deputies arrested were identified as Stephen Aiton Hopper, 19, of Ozark, Ala., and Fred Wayne Walker, 19, of 569 Jackson Town Road, Bainbridge, according to Crowder and jail logs.

Sheriff’s investigators believe the two had entered into one house and gathered up some alcoholic beverages, clothes and money before going to an adjacent house. It was the second house where the homeowner came up and found the two bagging up more alcoholic beverages, Crowder said.

GSP post releases October statistics

State troopers from the Georgia State Patrol’s Colquitt post investigated 14 traffic crashes in Decatur County during October. Sgt. 1st Class Marc Godby said the traffic crashes resulted in 10 injuries and one death. Godby said troopers from the Colquitt post also issued 192 traffic citations in Decatur County during October. The total includes 26 arrests for driving under the influence, 50 citations for speeding, 17 seat belt violations and 15 child restraint violations. Troopers also issued 152 warnings.