Police Hunch Leads To Arrest Of Burglary Trio In Cross Plains

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burglary-trio

 Police Hunch Leads To Arrest Of Burglary Trio In Cross Plains

CROSS PLAINS TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – According to Cross Plains Police Chief, James Yates, while on normal patrol, one of his officers noticed a work truck pulling a trailer that appeared to be set up for lawn care in the parking lot of a local church. The vehicle was in the parking lot of Rock Church. Rock Church is located on Woodall Ln. in Cross Plains, near I-65 and Hwy 25/Main St.. MAP The church is not visible from Main St. or I-65, and is positioned far off the roadway obscured by trees and brush.

Understanding the potential for crime around a structure so well hidden from the road, Officer Logan Abernathy with the Cross Plains Police Department often takes his cruiser down the church’s narrow drive for a look. Last Thursday the officer’s diligence paid off.

After spotting the vehicle in the church’s parking lot, Abernathy drove past it, and as he did, he noticed it was full of tools and had Kentucky plates. He also noticed a woman sitting inside the truck. The truck and trailer was hauling lawn care equipment including a lawn mower, blower, pressure washers and even generators. Abernathy had been to that parking lot many times on patrol, and something just didn’t add up.

img_3045According to Abernathy, the final straw for him was when the vehicle pulled out of the parking lot, they had forgotten to mow the lawn. When Abernathy ran the plates, it came up belonging to another vehicle.

Stolen out-of-state plates, on a vehicle he had never seen before, that was hauling lawn equipment that wasn’t being used, all added up to reasonable suspicion to Abernathy.

Abernathy stopped the vehicle at the gate located at the front of the church’s driveway as the suspects attempted to leave. When asked why they were there, the suspects said they had pulled back into img_3041the parking lot to rest and sleep. As for who owned the truck and what all that equipment was for, the suspects had a hard time answering basic questions, Abernathy said. As Abernathy chatted with the three suspects he noticed weapons in the vehicle and that’s when he decided to ask the three to step out of the vehicle.

Abernathy then asked a representative from the church to come by and see if the building was intact. A search of the building revealed someone had made a bit of a mess inside the building and items belonging to the church had been put in a pile on the floor. Abernathy told Smokey Barn News that he must have arrived just as the suspects were getting ready to load up. After an inventory, church officials discovered that a flat screen TV and VCR were missing.

david-paul-nash
David Paul Nash

A search of the three suspects, trailer and vehicle revealed over 300 tools a pistol, (Sterling 380) knives,  a machete, a baton, flashlights, a ski mask, robbery sleeves, (socks cut to cover tattoos) gloves, burglary tools, (hidden in a glasses case) jiggler keys, (for opening car doors) bolt cutters as well as antique jewelry, coins, watches, rings and one flat screen TV and a VCR.

The church representative recognized the flat screen TV and a VCR as the same ones taken from the church. It was around this time that one of the suspects said, “I guess I’m going back to the big house” Abernathy said.

sharon-denise-grimes
Sharon Denise Grimes

After running a background check on the suspects, Abernathy learned that one of them was wanted out of Logan County Kentucky for Burglary, Receiving Stolen Property and Theft Of Property.

All three suspects were arrested and transported to the Robertson County Detention Facility in Springfield. Abernathy told Smokey Barn News that he’s in communication with other agencies and looking into burglary cases in multiple counties with similar MO’s including several home invasions.

raymond-cody-cordell
Raymond Cody Cordell

David Paul Nash, 36, of Russellville KY was charged with Burglary, Fugitive From Justice, Possession Of Burglary Tools, Theft Of Property -Attempt,  and Unlawful Carrying Or Possession Of A Weapon. His bond was set at $85,000.

Sharon Denise Grimes, 38, of Bowling Green KY was charged with Burglary, Theft Of Property, Over $500 and Unlawful Carrying Or Possession Of A Weapon. Her bond was set at $70,000.

Raymond Cody Cordell, 32, of Bowling Green KY was charged with Burglary, Possession Of Burglary Tools, Theft Of Property – Over $500 and Unlawful Carrying Or Possession Of A Weapon. His bond was set at $70,000.

 

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