CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - The Covington Police Department (CPD) is investigating if one of the men responsible for the March burglary at Emergency Pawn Shop was killed in a May 15 motor vehicle accident in Clayton County.

“We believe that at least one of the individuals that died in the recent Clayton County chase was involved in and likely the driver of the U-Haul truck that smashed into the Emergency Pawn Shop back on March 20,” CPD Captain Ken Malcom said in a statement. “We also believe at least one of the deceased individuals was involved in the Covington area Sprint Store burglary on April 14. We are still working on this case.”

Media reports identified the three killed in the Clayton crash as Eddie Alford, 21, Devongelo Hunter, 19, and Mark Mathias, 19. Malcom did not say which of the three are suspected in the Covington burglaries.

Juantavius Gardner, 18, another of the suspected burglars, was arrested last month in Clayton County by Morrow police acting on a tip. He is currently being held in the Newton County Jail. 

Gardner became a suspect in the burglary when a discarded cookie package was found in the U-Haul truck that wrecked while fleeing police after the crime into a creek near the Bethlehem Baptist Church.