A Roswell man has been charged in the Jan. 17 burglary of D.J.’s Grocery at 504 Main Street. Photos taken during the burglary and items found in his vehicle led to his identification after he was arrested the next day in Newnan.

Forty-three year-old Darryl Keith Shields was charged with burglary and second-degree criminal damage to property in the Jan. 17 incident, according to Palmetto Det. John Cooper.

Officer Ron Stripling responded to the alarm call at D.J.’s at 12:30 a.m., Cooper said. Stripling found the that store’s right front door had been hit by a rock and the Plexiglas pushed in to provide access to the building. Investigators found that approximately 40 cartons of Marlboro and Newport cigarettes had been stolen, Cooper said.

The investigation revealed that store cameras had successfully photographed the burglar, providing police with a physical description, the type of clothing worn and pictures of a gold SUV used in the robbery. Police also found a cell phone in the store that was later identified as belonging to Shields, Cooper said.

Cooper said he received a call Jan. 18 from Newnan Police Det. Rick Mires indicating that he had a suspect in custody that had been involved in a chase with Newnan officers. Mires said the suspect might match the suspect in the D.J.’s burglary. Police had been informed of the potential for a match by a Newnan officer who lives in the Palmetto area and had heard about the burglary, Cooper said.

Upon viewing the impounded vehicle Cooper determined it to be the same one in the photo at the Palmetto burglary. Also found in the vehicle were two cartons of Marlboro, one carton of Newport, a plastic bag containing other cigarettes and a jacket matching the one worn by the suspect in the D.J.’s burglary, Cooper said. And at the jail, Shields matched the photo taken by surveillance cameras in the Palmetto store. Shields was subsequently charged in the burglary, Cooper said.

Shields is being held in Coweta County jail on unrelated charges.

login to post comments