Thanks to good surveillance footage, patrol officers with the Gainesville Police Department were able to nab a suspect in two smash-and-grab burglaries just hours after the crimes were committed.
Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said both incidents happened at businesses on Old Athens Highway late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Both the Citgo and 120 Package Store/Valero were closed at the times of the crimes, but Parrish said both stores were equipped with video cameras, and the cameras caught the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Anthony Thirkield, in action.
"One of the businesses [Citgo] had bars on the door and he attempted to pry and break the bars and was unsuccessful in getting into that business," Parrish said. Based on the timeline shown on the surveillance footage, it appeared the attempted break-in happened around 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
As officers investigated the Citgo incident Sunday morning, they noticed evidence of a second burglary at a neighboring business.
"They observed a broken front door at 129 Package Store/Valero," Parrish said. "Officers made contact with the owner and confirmed through surveillance footage the suspect entered their business multiple times overnight between 11 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 a.m. Sunday."
Parrish said surveillance footage from both stores indicated Thirkield was the suspect in both crimes.
"We put that picture out to our officers that were out on patrol Sunday morning - Easter morning - and they found a subject matching that description, wearing the same clothes," Parrish said.
Parrish said Thirkield had stolen items from the Valero store in his possession. He reportedly stole cash, cigarettes, lighters and lottery tickets.
In addition, when Thirkield was booked at the Hall County Jail, he had synthetic cannabinoid on his person.
"One we got him to the jail and they began to book him - he had multiple pairs of pants on - shorts - that each had different pockets and inside one of the pockets there was synthetic marijuana in individual baggies," Parrish said.
Thirkield was charged with two counts of felony burglary, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a synthetic cannabinoid and bringing contraband across a guard line. Thirkield remained in the Hall County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/4/895270/gainesville-man-charged-with-easter-weekend-smash-and-grab-burglaries