Two Charged in Burglary at DeKalb West School

A break-in at DeKalb West School last Sunday, September 25 has resulted in the arrest of a man and woman. It turns out that the two, 30 year old Brian Clinton Howell of Vantrease Road, Brush Creek and 25 year old Shauna Melissa Fleetwood of Martha-Leeville Road, Mount Juliet, are also believed to be responsible for burglaries at elementary schools in Wilson and Smith Counties.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, video surveillance showed that Fleetwood, driving a green Ford Taurus, pulled up at DeKalb West School and dropped off Howell. He then used a pry bar to enter a side door and broke into a soft drink vending machine, taking $20.00. Fleetwood later returned to pick up Howell and they drove away.
After being contacted by the Principal, Sheriff Ray said his department started an investigation. “We got a report Sunday that somebody had broken into DeKalb West School and vandalized a coke machine. The intruder got into the machine and stole money out of it. A detective went down to the school, reviewed the video, and got a good description of the intruder and the vehicle which dropped him off,” Sheriff Ray told WJLE Saturday.
After learning that a school in Watertown had also been recently burglarized, the detective contacted authorities there and during their joint investigation discovered that burglaries had occurred in Smith County as well and that a “BOLO” had been issued for area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the suspects. On Thursday evening, September 29, Wilson County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Lebanon Police Department officers located the suspects, Howell and Fleetwood, at the Traveler’s Inn in Lebanon.
In the DeKalb County case, Sheriff Ray said Howell is charged with burglary, vandalism, possession of burglary tools, and theft under $500. Fleetwood is charged with burglary and theft under $500 for being involved in a burglary in which she dropped off Howell in her vehicle , went to a gas station nearby, and then returned to pick him up. Both have admitted to detectives their involvement in the crimes.
Bond for Howell is $15,500 and Fleetwood’s bond is $12,500. Both will make an appearance in DeKalb County General Sessions Court on October 27. At last report, Fleetwood was still incarcerated in Smith County and Howell is in jail at Wilson County.
According to the “Smith County Insider”, the three elementary schools burglarized in Smith County were New Middleton Elementary, Forks River Elementary, and Carthage Elementary; and in Wilson County, Tucker’s Crossroad Elementary and Sam Houston Elementary. The burglaries took place between September 17th and September 28th.