Police recover stolen property

Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 20, 2006

Greenville police have put to bed several stolen property cases that occurred in June and July, including the major theft of four television sets from the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

On July 11, three black males and one black female entered Wal-Mart, loaded four high definition televisions into two shopping carts, and exited the store through the garden center without paying. The total value of the televisions is $3,218.

A Wal-Mart employee soon realized the theft had occurred and notified police.

&#8220We reviewed the (surveillance) tapes and saw where the individuals had stolen the televisions and how they'd made their escape,” said Sgt. Justin Lovvorn.

Police also were able to obtain a description of the vehicle used by the suspects. Later that day, a Lowndes County Sheriff's Deputy pulled the identified vehicle over on Interstate 65 near Montgomery County and had two of the occupants - Jermichael Hooks, 20, and Willie Vinson, 30, both of Montgomery - exit the vehicle. The other male suspect, Mario Demond Phillips, 27, also of Montgomery, jumped from the back seat into the driver's seat and fled, with the 14-year-old black female still inside, according to Lovvorn.

Hooks and Vinson were charged with theft of property, 1st degree. Lovvorn said both men confessed to stealing the televisions. He said warrants had been issued for Phillips' arrest, along with the juvenile, and that the Montgomery Police Department is assisting in locating the two other suspects.

Officers also recovered two go-carts stolen from Huck's ATV on E. Commerce St. On June 27, owner Jerry Huckaba reported that a pair of go-carts worth $2,800 was stolen from the premises. Approximately one week later officers discovered the go-carts near a residence on First St. and investigators subsequently arrested four juveniles, ages 12 to 16, for the thefts. Six bicycles that had been reported stolen were also recovered.

Additionally, a break-in at McBride's Chevron on S. College St. has been solved, resulting in the arrest of Nakita Robinson, 21, and three juveniles, ages 15 to 17. Greenville police were called to McBride's on June 25 to discover the front glass door broken out and an undetermined amount of beer and cigarettes stolen from the store.

The arrests were made two weeks later and half of the stolen property was returned to the victim.

Robinson and the three juveniles were charged with burglary, 3rd degree.