Adult, juvenile found holding property taken in break-ins
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
A predawn raid carried out Monday (April 15) at a Harris Street residence resulted in the arrest of a two-person burglary ring believed responsible for either stealing or acting as a fence for property stolen in a string of residential break-ins stretching from Atmore and rural Escambia County, Alabama, into Florida.
Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks confirmed that investigators and uniformed officers of his agency, backed by Escambia County (Fla.) sheriff’s deputies and Alabama Drug Enforcement operatives, recovered numerous items — including several guns — that were reported stolen over the past several months from homes in and around Atmore.
“We were able to locate stolen firearms, narcotics and other items,” reported Brooks, who added that all the property seized at the Atmore residence was taken into evidence.
Some of the guns and other items recovered in the raid have turned out to be from burglary and theft cases being investigated by Florida authorities.
Investigators from Atmore and those from sheriff’s offices in Escambia County, Alabama and Florida, are running serial numbers and other items of identification through state and national crime computers to determine if the various pieces of property were actually stolen and, if they were, to determine from which jurisdiction.
“This case was a multijurisdictional effort involving investigators with Atmore Police Department, Alabama Drug Enforcement and Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office due to ongoing investigations tied to both jurisdictions,” Brooks said. “We’ve also got some cases from out in the county. We’re probably going to be able to clear up a lot of cases from these arrests.”
Brooks said Jylyn Kevon Cooper, 18, of Atmore and a 17-year-old juvenile were at 69 Harris Street when lawmen executed a search warrant at the home at 6:53 a.m. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident.
Cooper is charged with one count each of fourth-degree receiving stolen property, second-degree receiving stolen property, second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The underage teen, who has reportedly been turned over to juvenile authorities and whose name cannot be published unless he is charged as an adult, faces one count of third-degree receiving stolen property.
Brooks said he wasn’t sure whether any of the stolen property could be tied to automobile and residential break-ins that have plagued residents of the Huxford-Uriah area, but added that he did not think Cooper and the juvenile were involved in those burglaries.
An employee of the Escambia County Detention Center reported near midday Tuesday that Cooper remained behind bars but was scheduled for a bond hearing later that day.