Teens charged with burglary
Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 23, 2016
Two people who broke into a vacant house, moved in, introduced themselves to the neighbors, and took to Facebook to invite friends to a party there have been charged with multiple crimes.
Eighteen-year-olds Joshua Cole Mitchell and Troy LaRay Fantroy of Andalusia were arrested by Andalusia Police for burglary third degree and criminal mischief third degree.
Mitchell was also charged with possession of marijuana second degree.
Additional charges may be forthcoming. Both are being held in the Covington County Jail – Mitchell under a $16,000 bond and Fantroy under a $13,000 bond.
On Thursday, Andalusia Police responded to a call to a vacant home at 426 Pugh Street after someone saw a man break into the house through a window. Upon arrival, officers found two men inside the house.
They were identified as Mitchell and Fantroy.
In a separate case, Homeowner Ronnie Reid said he and his wife had just renovated the house and put it on the market.
Earlier in the week, a neighbor reported a party taking place there, but by the time law enforcement officers arrived, the crowd had dispersed.
Reid said deputies had determined the identify of one of the vagrants, but they weren’t certain of the identify of the second.
“We went out there to clean up,” he said. “They had taken some new carpet padding we had left over, and rolled a piece of that to use for sleeping.”
Reed found a pillowcase filled with items, including the birth certificate of the second suspect.
Reid said there were minor damages to the house, including a broken window, torn screens, and a broken mirror.
In another case, business owner, Anthony King, set out to recover an outdoor ashtray stand stolen from Fletcher’s that led to the discovery. King posted on Facebook that he offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the thief. The post was shared numerous times, and someone eventually reported the location of the ashtray.
Covington County Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator Wesley Snodgrass said Friday the person who stole the ashtray was a juvenile.
Snodgrass said they are currently investigating some additional cases including a burglary, but charges are still forthcoming. He confirmed that “some are,” when asked about Fantroy and Mitchell are suspects in these cases.
The Star-News will update when more information becomes available.