Thief enters vehicles while owners at church; Valdosta man charged

Published 3:20 pm Wednesday, February 14, 2024

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MOULTRIE — Omega police arrested a suspect Wednesday evening, Feb. 7, in a series of car break-ins both there and around Moultrie. The Moultrie-area break-ins took place at churches while their owners were inside for evening services.

Six vehicles were broken into at four Colquitt County churches.

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Apprehended and charged later that evening was a 26-year-old Valdosta man.

“The break-ins occurred between 6:30 and 8 p.m.,” said Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office investigator Micheal Morris. “All the vehicles had smashed windows.”

Multiple purses and wallets were stolen from the vehicles, totaling over $100 in cash.

}“He broke into cars at the Temple Baptist Church, Trinity Baptist Church, a Spanish church and the Jehovah Witness church,” said Morris. “After he hit those, he stopped in Omega and broke into a car there.”

Omega police were the ones to arrest the suspect, so he is currently at the Tift County jail awaiting the motion for that county’s charges.

It was discovered that he was out on bail from Lowndes,” said Morris. “He has active warrants too, also from Lowndes.”

During the search of the suspect’s vehicle at the time of his arrest, officers were able to locate all the stolen items, Morris said. Everything has been returned.

“Since it was Tift County that arrested him, they get to complete their investigation first,” said Morris. “We will get our turn after they are finished.”

}Because one of the churches is within Moultrie city limits, the suspect is facing charges from both the Moultrie Police Department and the CCSO.

{From the CCSO are four counts of entering automobile. The MPD is charging the suspect with one count of entering automobile along with criminal trespass and theft by taking.