Local man breaks into home, tries to chase evil spirits out
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An Atmore man who told police he broke into a local residence in an attempt to cleanse the residence of demons, was arrested July 5 on burglary charges.
Atmore Police Department Sgt. Darrell McMann said an APD patrol officer spotted a man — later identified as Eddie Thomas Woods, 41 — “staggering as he was walking in the middle of the road on Curtis Street.” When the officer made contact with Woods, he reportedly told the policeman, “I did it; I’m not gonna lie.”
The apparently inebriated suspect then told the officer he broke into a nearby residence to “cleanse the demons” from it. He also told the officer he didn’t have his ID “because ‘they’ took it and took a picture of him.” Two CBD vapes were found in his pocket.
While the officer was questioning Woods, a dispatcher radioed that Poarch Creek Indians police had received notification of a burglary in the area. PCI police gave a description of the suspect that matched Woods, and the Atmore man was detained.
The person who reported the burglary identified Woods as the person who was in her residence when she came home. Woods told her and other occupants he was “getting the evil spirits out of their house.” One of the victims obtained the suspect’s ID and took a picture of it before he left.
Woods was charged with third-degree burglary, a Class C felony. Narcotics possession charges are pending after the substance in the CBD vapes tested positive for synthetic cannabis (Spice).
The Atmore man remained in the county jail, without bond, late Friday, July 8.