by Al Summers
News Editor
alsummers@timescourier.com
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A traffic stop lead to an eventual jackpot of stolen merchandise from burglaries that has plagued the city of Ellijay for the past few weeks. Ellijay patrolman Billy Brackett made the stop early last Wednesday night, March 3.
Businesses in the city had been hit by the burglar, the biggest being at ACE Hardware and an automotive shop.
A press release from the Ellijay Police Department stated the following:
“The Ellijay Police Department has closed the case on a series of recent commercial and vehicle burglaries that have plagued the city.
Acting on information developed from a late night stop of a suspicious vehicle last week, officers and detectives have spent considerable time over the past several days following up on the case.
Arrested in the case was Michael Rodney Eaton, 38, of an Ellijay address. Eaton is currently being held in the Gilmer County Detention Center, on a variety of charges with a total bond of $66,000.
Detectives from Ellijay and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Department C.I.D. have conducted several search warrants and consent searches at multiple locations, which have produced almost complete recovery of all the stolen property in these cases, as well as, some additional stolen property from unrelated cases.
“The amount of stolen property recovered during the follow-up investigation in these cases is extraordinary, and we are pleased to be able to put it back in the hands of the rightful owners” said Ellijay Police Chief Larry Callahan.
Callahan also said, “I would like to commend Lt. Mike Laney, Detective Lane Bennett and officer Billy Brackett for their diligent work in this case, and express my gratitude to the Gilmer County detectives and East Ellijay Police Department for all their cooperation.”
Gilmer County detectives, along with help of detectives from the Ellijay Police Department, recently made arrests in a stabbing incident and a rash of burglaries, and in the process, confiscated a quantity of illegal drugs, also.
According to chief detective Capt. Stacy Nicholson of the sheriff’s department, Jackie Allen Tutton, 26, of Ellijay, was arrested after an altercation where Richard Comer was stabbed.
The incident took place on Hicks Ford Road on Friday, Feb. 20. Tutton was arrested within hours of the incident and taken to the Gilmer County Detention Center and charged with aggravated assault. He is being held under $11,000 bond on the new charge and a probation violation.
Law officers made progress in the solving of a number of burglaries in the county and the city of Ellijay with the arrest of two people. Chris Warren, 19, of Ellijay, was arrested and charged with one count of burglary and one count of theft. Ricky Southerland, 20, of Ellijay, was charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of theft by taking. Stolen items were recovered from both suspects.
The illegal drug trade was hit with the arrests of the following people on the following charges:
Nicholson said the investigation into these cases is ongoing. He told the Times-Courier a tip line had been set up for citizens who want to anonymously leave information about criminal activity. The number is (706) 635-TIPS (8477).
The detective praised the detectives from the Ellijay Police Department, saying, “Ellijay detectives were a great asset in these investigations.”