COVINGTON, Ga. – Cash and jewelry worth more than $2,000 and a pair of shoes valued at $150 were stolen from two different homes last Friday afternoon during daytime burglaries that resulted in a K-9 search and the brief lockdown of a high school.

According to Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) incident reports, deputies responded to a report of a burglary in progress on Fernhill Court Sept. 8 just past noon after a woman sitting on her patio called 911 and reported seeing a male wearing a blue hoodie and red/black basketball shorts leave out of the back door of a house carrying two boxes of shoes. The male reportedly stopped behind a second residence to pick up an additional box before running toward a trail behind the homes.

Deputies arrived on the scene within three to five minutes and discovered two houses had been broken into. The deputies cleared both houses and immediately set up a perimeter. According to the report, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) was contacted to request use of their K-9 unit. A drone was also requested to the scene.

Once on the scene, the K-9 unit executed a track from the first residence. The track reportedly ended at the back parking lot of Eastside High School. According to NCSO Spokesperson Sgt. Cortney Morrison, the incident led to a brief soft lockdown at the school while authorities searched for the perpetrator.  The lockdown ended shortly before 1 p.m. while deputies remained in the area.

The homeowner of the second house returned home and found responding deputies in the backyard. She discovered the bedroom window was open and the room in disarray. According to the report, she confirmed to deputies that a cluster ring and a pearl ring valued at $1,700 were missing along with $450 in cash. Estimated damage to the window was $800. The homeowner reportedly told deputies she had left the house at 11:25 a.m. to go to the store.

The owner of the first house confirmed to deputies that two pairs of “Jordans” with a value of $150 a pair had been stolen. One of the pairs of shoes was recovered by deputies during the K-9 track. The cost of the damage to the first house was estimated at $400 for the back door and $100 for damage to a closet door.

An investigator on the scene took photos and dusted for fingerprints at both residences.