By Melanie Ruberti

 

Melanie.ruberti@lagrangenews.com

 

 

3 more people arrested in entering auto crime spree

 

Public Safety Reports

 

 

Investigators with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office arrested three more people in connection with an entering auto crime spree spanning several counties.

 

Tecory Daniels, 27, Dorothy Lawrence, 43 and Tyrone Gray, 23, all of LaGrange, were taken into custody on Wednesday, said TCSO officials.

 

Daniels, Lawrence and Gray were each charged with one count of felony theft by receiving a stolen weapon and booked into the Troup County Jail.

 

A fourth suspect, Quintavious L. Gray, 21, was taken into custody on Tuesday after TCSO investigators served a search warrant on his home off North Kight Drive.

 

Investigators discovered inside the home a pile of high dollar semi-automatic rifles, plus stacks of smaller guns, knives, laptops, cellphones, televisions, purses, ammunition, hunting gear, cross bow, lawn equipment, backpacks, social security cards, driver’s licenses and even a recently purchased baby doll, said TCSO Chief Investigator Capt. Mike Caldwell.

 

All of the items were reportedly stolen by Gray and his accomplices over a span of six months, Caldwell stated.

 

Gray allegedly admitted to investigators of committing more than 1,000 entering autos, the chief investigator said.

 

Capt. Caldwell estimated the agency seized around $75,000 worth of items from Gray’s home.

 

All four suspects will also face charges in other jurisdictions where they allegedly committed crimes.

 

 

Man arrested attempting to break into ATM

 

 

A silent alarm helped LaGrange Police catch a man attempting to break into an ATM in front of the Charterbank at 300 Church Street about 1:15 a.m. on Thursday.

 

A LPD officer managed to capture the suspect trying to pry the machine open on his mounted patrol camera, the report stated. The man then spotted the patrol car and took off running down Church Street.

 

Officers caught up with the suspect in the rear parking lot of the First Baptist Church on the Square, according to the report.

 

The suspect, identified as Randal Lee Cofield, 31, had a metal crow bar and a box cutter on his person, stated the report.

 

Cofield allegedly told police he was dropped off in front of the ATM machine by several males in a Nissan car and told to break into it. The men reportedly told Cofield if he did not do it, they would kill his mother, according to the police report.

 

When asked why the men were after him, Cofield allegedly told police he stole more than $4,000 worth of dope from them, the report stated.

 

The 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with I transported him to the Troup County Jail where he was charged with criminal attempt-theft by taking, criminal damage to a business, possession of tools for the commission of a crime and obstruction of a police officer.

 

Cofield was unable to steal any money out of the ATM, but did considerable damage to the machine, LPD police said.

 

Bank officials estimated a new ATM machine costs about $50,000.

 

 

Vacant home damaged, appliances stolen

 

A LaGrange police officer discovered on Thursday someone damaged and stole items from a vacant home in the 200 block of East Yorktown Drive.

 

The officer learned the home belonged to someone who was deceased but remained occupied by an acquaintance up until October, the report stated.

 

The alleged suspect(s) stole a refrigerator plus numerous water and lighting fixtures throughout the home, according to the report.

 

The cost of the theft and damages was estimated around $1,750.

 

Entering auto and theft

 

A man claimed someone broke into his 2008 Ford F-150 truck while it was parked at Longhorn Steakhouse at 1518 Lafayette Parkway on Tuesday.

 

The man told LaGrange Police the suspect(s) stole an HP “Z Book,” an iPhone and a gold Citizen watch, plus a computer bag containing work and personal documents.

 

The items were valued about $1,500.

 

 

 

All information in this report is gathered from official law enforcement and public safety reports and releases. It is the policy of the Daily News to list the names of people charged with felonies.

Reach the LaGrange Daily News at 706-884-7311.