From STAFF REPORTS



CORDELE — Three workers at two local businesses have been charged with stealing from their employers.

Cordele Police Department Sgt. Dean Brown identified two of the suspects as Home Depot employees Robert Andrew Middlebrooks, 22, of 1506-E 16th Avenue, and Heleeda Ellis, 33, for whom no address was listed.

The officer said loss prevention officers for Home Depot told him that over a period of time Middlebrooks had on eight occasions given a man named but not yet charged an item to take through his check-out counter.

There, Middlebrooks would allegedly charge a lesser price for the item that the customer would later return and be given a Home Depot gift card for its full value. The customer would then give the gift card to Middlebrooks who, in turn, would spend it on himself.

Middlebrooks, who has reportedly admitted to the ruse, has been charged with misdemeanor theft by taking (under $300).

Sgt. Brown said Ellis is accused of creating on Aug, 8 a Home Depot gift card in the name of an apparent fictitious person in the amount of $684.85.

Ellis allegedly used the gift card on three occasions, the last of which she also used her own credit card to complete the transaction. She has been charged with felony theft by deception in an amount over $500.

An investigation is continuing and additional charges may be forthcoming.

The third person charged with employee theft is Lashaunna Barner, 28, of 607 Short St., Vienna.

The manager of Denny’s told Ptl. Clinton Latham he had no idea of how long Barner had been stealing from the restaurant but that he had three documented incidents.

For the last two thefts, he produced receipts that showed she would charge customers full price for their meals, would add a discount into the system for the transaction and would pocket the difference. The total amount taken in the last two documented incidents was $24.19.

In other weekend activity, officers:

— Responded to an assault in process call that resulted in more serious charges being filed against one of the participants.

Sgt. Brown said Bernice Whitest told him she and Christopher Harvey got into an early Friday morning verbal altercation during which he tried to strike her with his fist but missed.

They then left their 306-A 17th Ave. W., residence and walked about three blocks to a friend’s home where when she called police to report the incident he walked away.

Having learned during a background check on the subjects that Harvey was wanted by the Leon County, Fla., Sheriff’s Department in Tallahassee for sale of cocaine and a parole violation, Brown said he went looking for the man,

The officer said he located Harvey on 22nd Avenue West where the offender declined three times to quit walking away from him before taking off running. Brown gave chase and apprehended him about three blocks away in an alley.

He has been charged locally with obstruction of an officer, parole violation and apprehension of a wanted person.

— Received four complaints involving theft or apparent attempted theft.

Rontavious Lester told Ptl. Christina Martinez that sometime after midnight Friday someone smashed the rear window of his car and stole two Lansar speakers encased in a custom-made light brown Vortex box.

Walter Coleman of 305 10th St. S., told Sgt. Robert Green that two tires and rims, a fish fryer, a Homelite weed eater and a vehicle starter and alternator had been stolen from his yard between 10 p.m. Friday and 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Cedrick Franklin told Sgt. Charles Dennard that sometime between 11 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday someone broke the vent window in the passenger side door of his pickup truck. Nothing was missing from the vehicle.

Cpl. Bruce Gourley said that in responding to an activated alarm at Northside Pawn Shop at 302 Seventh St. N., he found the front glass door had been shattered with a large chunk of concrete. A store spokesman who came to the scene said nothing appeared to be missing.

— Investigated a robbery by sudden snatching complaint filed from the 100 block of East 16th Avenue.

Earnest Kearse told Cpl. Gourley that as he was leaving the Smoke Shoppe a man he knew snatched $60 from him and ran. The officer searched the area for the suspect but was unable to locate him. Gourley has requested that a warrant be issued for the alleged offender.

— Probed a vandalism complaint filed by an employee of the Waffle House on Frontage Road. Belinda Alewine told Ptl. Martinez that while she was on duty someone “keyed” her truck between 6-6:47 a.m. Friday.

— Filed disorderly conduct citations against four persons.

Sgt. Green said he made that charge against Brian Eric Clark, 23, of 120 Rose Avenue, and Benjamin Howard Ergle, 22, of 2623 U.S. Highway 41 S., after being called to investigate a 12:44 a.m. Sunday disturbance at the “Other Place” located on Central Avenue.

Sergeants Montgomery and Brown made identical cases against Lewis Walker and Ervin Coleman after being called to the Hillttop Apartments in reference to a Saturday afternoon disturbance.

The arresting officers noted it marked the eighth time in just over two months that police have been called about the inability of the two brothers to get along with each other.