Covington Police arrested a Mansfield man, who reportedly tried to conceal his identity, after he was recognized by an officer who knew him from high school.

According to reports, an officer from the Covington Police Department was dispatched Tuesday evening to the Covington Lodge at City Pond Road in reference to a report of trespassing.

The officer was flagged down by the manager, who pointed to a man later identified as James Gabriel Holcombe. Holcombe reportedly told the officer that a female invited him into a room, but when Holcombe saw the room was not rented to anyone, reports said, he backed out.

The officer asked Holcombe for his identification, but Holcombe said he didn’t have any and gave his name as Joshua Holcombe and his birth date as July 7, 1987. When the officer checked that name and birth date, they came back "not on file," reports said. Holcombe then changed his birth date, saying it was July 21, 1987. With that date, a warrant from Walton County was found.

When police dispatchers provided a photo associated with the Walton County warrant, it was found that Holcombe wasn’t the subject pictured.

According to the police report, when another officer looked at the suspect, he recognized him from high school. Holcombe then gave his correct name and date of birth and told officers that he was trying to give them that information all along.

After Holcombe was arrested on charges of providing false information to police, a pat-down revealed that he had a fully loaded .22 caliber pistol concealed in his pants; a wallet that contained the identification of another man and that man’s debit cards; and two pieces of paper that contained James Holcombe’s name.

Additionally, officers reportedly found a plastic bag in Holcombe’s backpack containing approximately 35 pills, identified as Schedule 3 narcotics; an Acer laptop; numerous cellphones; keys to a BMW, a Cadillac, and a Caterpillar vehicle; two pairs of binoculars; and numerous cords for electronics.

Holcombe was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, drugs to be kept in original container, giving a false name or address to a law enforcement officer and unlawful use of license.

Men reportedly attempt theft at car dealership

Two men were arrested after they allegedly attempted to steal tires and hubcaps off vehicles at Ginn Motor Co., 8153 Access Road.

Officers with the Covington Police Department and deputies with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the car dealership around 1 a.m., Oct. 25 after receiving a call from Eagle Eye, a surveillance system that monitors the dealership. Eagle Eye reported that two males were trying to steal parts off a vehicle.

According to the report, Eagle Eye notified officers that a blue van was on the new car lot, and two black males were lying under some vehicles and were removing tires from two Camaros. When officers arrived, they noticed a 2000 Chevy Astro van sitting by one of the new car lots. They found two men, later identified as Omega Roberson of Decatur and Cedric Freeman of Douglasville, between the Camaros. Both were wearing black hoodies.

One of the officers reportedly identified himself, pulled out his weapon and told the men to stop and put their hands up. Both suspects ran, reports said, toward a duplex on Capes Drive. Freeman ran to the right of the duplex, behind the Bruno Properties building, and Roberson went to the left, reports said.

An officer pursued and caught Roberson in the woods, where he was handcuffed.

A deputy and K-9 unit with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office assisted CPD officers in tracking the wooded area where Freeman had fled. As deputies and officers searched, they heard a noise near the woods by the Holiday Inn, and Freeman was found in a bush. He was also arrested.

According to the report, between the two Chevy Camaros where the men were found, officers also discovered a pair of shoes and a four-way lug wrench and lug nuts from the Camaros.

The Astro van’s side door was open, and there were several cinderblocks inside the van, along with a floor jack and a Georgia licenses plate. Sitting in the front seat of the van, reports said, were four hubcaps with lug nuts.

Officers reportedly also noticed that a Chevy Silverado truck was missing all of its hubcaps, the lug nuts were on the ground, and a cinderblock was located behind both rear tires.

The center caps located inside the van were identified as the center caps off the Chevy Silverado.

A Ginn Motor Co. manager said the items the suspects reportedly attempted to steal were valued at about $9,500.

Freeman and Roberson were taken to the Newton County Jail and charged with theft by taking, possession of tools during the commission of a crime, and obstruction of an officer.