Police make arrests morning after smash-and-grabs
Two Jackson men were arrested early Wednesday after a car break-in spree that stretched across Columbia Tuesday night.
Police charged Thomas Derri Lewis, 29, and Jerri Kelly Jackson, 37, with auto burglary, and Chief Michael Kelly said more charges were possible as police piece together how many crimes were committed.
“It happened all over the city from U.S. 98 and businesses and hotels to residential areas,” Kelly said. “We had at least two vehicles stolen, possibly three, with at least two recovered. … We’re still looking for one.”
One of the victims was Barbara May of Arlington, Tenn., who woke up Wednesday morning after staying at the Rodeway Inn to find her truck’s window glass broken out. May and her husband, who work in the ornamental iron business and cover a three-state area, were staying in Columbia for a week, and a folder full of business information along with a few tools were stolen.
“We’ve traveled on business for 12 years and never had anything happen. This place was highly recommended by the Chamber of Commerce. This was just a fluke thing. We’re not angry at the facility at all, just upset we were broken into,” she said.
After May alerted hotel staff and officers arrived, they realized there were multiple other car burglaries in the parking lot. That included the truck of hotel night-shift clerk Amber Mason.
“I said, ‘That’s my truck.’ He said, ‘Yours was hit, too.’ I said, ‘Please tell me you’re joking,’” Mason recalls.
The thieves took a touchscreen radio and documents. Harley Ford, Mason’s boyfriend, said he believes they were trying to get Social Security and bank account numbers.
Also, a silver Nissan Maxima was stolen from the hotel parking lot, according to Mason and Ford. Mason said nearby businesses were hit, too.
Mason said she’s worked at the hotel for nine months and never had any problems. She said the police patrol regularly there at night.
“I want Columbia and I want the people that want to stay at the Rodeway Inn, please know this is the first time this has happened. We are a good, safe hotel,” Mason said.
She said she was initially shaken but pulled herself together and began to try to figure out who the perpetrators were. Video showed a car pulling out quickly around 10:27 p.m. Tuesday, just around the time Mason was coming into work, she said.
Mason and Ford said they went out searching for the thieves Wednesday morning and headed to Mississippi Avenue, where Ford said he used to frequent when he was younger before he cleaned up his act.
They said they saw the missing car parked and then came up on Mayor Justin McKenzie on the corner, who told them to leave because police were already on it.
They later shot a video from across the street of police making the arrest.
“I want people to know CPD was on it quickly and in a hurry,” Mason said.
Kelly said Wednesday the department’s quick action helped lead to arrests.
“I received the first call at 6:30 this morning from Sgt. (Chris) Bush, whose shift was coming on,” the chief said. “He told me that within the first 30 minutes of their shift, they worked eight auto burglaries. He told me he was sure the number was going to go up. I left the house immediately and around 8 a.m. I spoke with the mayor and gave him a situation update and by 8:30 a.m. I was able to call back and report that the suspects were in custody. Our people did an incredible job in investigating this, putting together a solid case in a very short amount of time and taking the suspects into custody.”
Kelly said McKenzie was able to assist because the mayor is often out in the community.
“When I was able to tell him this vehicle description, he had seen the vehicle and we had citizens who reported they had seen one of the vehicles,” Kelly said. “That’s what happens when we reach out and build partnerships with the community. They call and give this information – it’s valuable.
“Literally, the sun hadn’t come up good over Columbia and we had two very bad guys in jail who had burglarized people all over the city.”
Pictured Above: Amber Mason and Harley Ford stand by their truck Wednesday morning after it was broken into outside the Rodeway Inn. The couple said they tracked down the thieves, finding a stolen car on Mississippi Avenue, only to discover police were already preparing to swoop in for an arrest. Two Jackson men were charged. | Photo by Charlie Smith
