Two Men Arrested in Break-In on Adcock Cemetery Road

Two men were arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Thursday after a burglary and theft on Adcock Cemetery Road.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says 19 year old Jerry D. Cantrell of Adcock Cemetery Road, Smithville and 19 year old Cody L. Murphy of Sparta Highway, Smithville are charged with aggravated burglary and theft of property under $500.
According to Sheriff Ray, officers received a complaint call on Adcock Cemetery Road of a break in at a home where thieves made off with the owner’s TV and DVD player. Through an investigation, deputes discovered that Cantrell and Murphy went to the residence and used a credit card to gain entry to the home. They removed the TV and DVD player and then went back to Cantrell’s residence where they hid the items underneath the home. The stolen items have been recovered. Bond for both men was set at $15,000 each and they will appear in court on April 30th.
Meanwhile, 31 year old Samuel McClure Jr. of Harrison Avenue, Murfreesboro and 29 year old Joshua Edward Dennis were arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of theft of property under $500 and one count of burglary. McClure’s bond was set at $5,000. Bond for Dennis was set at $12,000. Both men will appear in court on April 30th.
Sheriff Ray says these two men were allegedly with 30 year old James Ricky Ashford of Burnwood Trailer Court, Murfreesboro when deputies made a traffic stop on Sunday, April 12th on Highway 96 in Liberty and found stolen goods in Ashford’s truck.
According to Sheriff Ray “County deputies were on patrol in the Snows Hill and Dowelltown area when they made the traffic stop and noticed a leaf blower and a tool box in the back of the vehicle that Ashford was driving. After an in-depth investigation, officers discovered that Ashford and two other persons (McClure and Dennis) had been riding around looking for items to steal here in DeKalb County. They even went to a store in Smithville and purchased a pry bar to use as a tool to gain entry into locked buildings, vehicles, and trailers. Officers learned that the three men went to a residence on Dry Creek Road in Smithville and broke the lock off an enclosed trailer and stole a leaf blower valued less than $500. The men then went to a location on West Main Street, Smithville and removed from the owner’s vehicle, a tool box containing various tools.
Deputies made the owners aware of the thefts after making this discovery.
Ashford was arrested first. He was charged last week with two counts of theft of property under $500 and one count of burglary. His bond is set at $7,000 and his court date is April 30th.
In another case, deputies stopped 31 year old Billy Keith Watts of Lebanon Highway, Carthage for driving offenses on Wednesday, April 22nd. Upon speaking with Watts, officers noticed that he had slurred speech and was confused. Watts submitted to field sobriety tasks which he failed. He was charged with a first offense of driving under the influence and issued a written citation for violation of implied consent for refusing to submit to a blood/alcohol test. Watts’ bond was set at $1,500 and he will appear in court on May 7th.
Also on Wednesday, deputies arrested 24 year old Joshua Ryan Cripps of Hodges Road, Smithville for public intoxication, simple possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cripps came into the DeKalb County Jail in an intoxicated state. Cripps had slurred speech and at times would pass out. After placing Cripps under arrest, deputies found a plastic bag containing marijuana in his front pants pocket. Cripps also had in his possession rolling papers and a cut straw containing a white residue. Bond for Cripps was set at $3,000 and he will appear in court on May 21st.
Deputies arrested 25 year old Bradley Wayne Ferrell of Tubbs Street, Liberty on Saturday after he was stopped for running off the roadway on Highway 70. Officers detected a strong odor of alcohol on Ferrell’s person and he had slurred speech. Ferrell submitted to field sobriety tasks which he failed. Ferrell was charged with a second offense of driving under the influence and his bond was set at $3,000.. He will appear in court on May 28th.
On Sunday, officers arrested 50 year old Karen Louise Moffitt of Baker Mountain Road, Spencer after she was stopped on Highway 56 for erratic driving. Moffitt submitted to field sobriety tasks which she failed. She was very unsteady on her feet and her speech was very impaired. Moffitt did admit to deputies that she was mixing beer with her prescriptions. Moffitt was charged with a first offense of driving under the influence and her bond was set at $1,500. She will appear in court on May 7th.