Man charged for breaking in 13 cars
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 4, 2013
An Andalusia man is being held on a 21 charges and a $284,000 bond after the Andalusia Police Department answered 12 calls of burglaries of vehicles Saturday.
Lt. Paul Dean said the APD 13 vehicles at 12 residences were broken in to some time late Friday night or early Saturday morning. The residences were located on Snowden Drive, Moore Road, Woodlawn Avenue, Astor Drive, and Bluebell Drive.
Portable electronic devices and approximately $40 in change were reported stolen. All of the vehicles were unlocked and no damage occurred during entry, he said.
Sgt. Roger Cender worked the case and by early Saturday afternoon, had identified a person of interest. The suspect, identified as Derrick Leon Jones, 29, of Andalusia, was located in an apartment at West Haven Meadows off of Snowden Drive and was taken to the Andalusia Police Department for questioning.
At the conclusion of the interview, Jones was arrested and charged with 13 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle and eight counts of theft of property III.
Jones was booked into the Covington County Jail Saturday afternoon with a bond totaling $284,000.
The burglaries were reported in the following locations:
• Astor Drive- seven vehicles
• Snowden Drive- two vehicles
• Woodlawn Avenue- two vehicles
• Moore Road – one vehicle
• Bluebell Drive – one vehicle
Dean said the APD would like to remind residents to secure their vehicles and belongings.
“Although a locked door will not stop a determined thief, it can be a deterrent to someone who is looking to make a quick score by grabbing electronics, change or anything else of value left in plain view inside a vehicle,” he said.