Wednesday, January 17, 2001
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Wednesday, January 17, 2001 |
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Armed burglary suspect may be linked to other Fayetteville break-ins By JOHN
MUNFORD The arrest of an armed burglary suspect at a local residence almost two weeks ago may prove to be a break in other reported burglaries, according to officials from the Fayetteville Police Department. William P. Bennett, 50, of Jonesboro, was caught after Officer David Webb responded to a burglary alarm at a residence on Hibiscus Trail, according to an incident report. Bennett had a .25 caliber semiautomatic handgun and a screwdriver in his pockets, and he also had an estimated $300 in jewelry that had been taken from the residence during the Friday evening incident, the report stated. The suspect's method of operation was consistent with other reported burglaries, said Lt. Linda Lash, commander of the department's criminal investigation unit. Possible links to those crimes were being investigated, she said. When Webb pulled up, he noticed that a door had been forced open, according to the report. Immediately after that, he noticed Bennett dashing away, the report said. The foot chase immediately ensued. Bennett was charged with burglary, obstruction of a police officer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of tools to commit a crime. Police Chief Johnny Roberts said Webb is an outstanding police officer and he was thankful that the suspect decided not to use the gun that was found on him. Roberts also recalled Webb's professional actions in another high-profile arrest that occurred while off duty in his first year with the Police Department. In that case, Webb peacefully apprehended a suspect wanted for murder in Henry County who was also armed at the time. Last year, burglaries in Fayetteville were down 28 percent compared to 1999, Lash said. She said the drop was due to better community involvement, active neighborhood watch programs and aggressive investigation of reported burglaries.
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