Food Depot was the scene of two separate shoplifting attempts, both of which were thwarted by observant employees.
On the afternoon of April 17, officers from the Covington Police Department were called to the grocery store. When they arrived the store manager had the alleged shoplifter with him in aisle 15.
The manager was standing with a woman, identified as Beverly Corbett, and the officer allegedly noticed several fish filets laying on the floor, with one inside a Ziplock bag. The manager reportedly told the officer that he watched Corbett open the package of fish, place it into the Ziplock bag and then put the whole thing inside her purse. He reportedly told the officer that when he confronted Corbett, the fish fell out of her purse and onto the ground.
Corbett however, allegedly told the officer that she did not steal the fish and that the whole thing must be a mistake, adding, according to reports, that she "does not even like that type of fish."
Corbett was arrested and transported to the Newton County Detention Center where she was charged with theft by shoplifting. The fish filets were valued at $9.59 and the Ziplock bags at $3.56.
A few days later officers from the CPD were once again called to Food Depot where a woman reportedly told them she had seen a man put something under the front of his jacket.
Officers detained the alleged thief, identified as Davis Altman, and discovered that the item he reportedly attempted to steal was a large bottle of Foxhorn Chardonnay wine. The wine, which had a value of $4.70, was returned to the store and Altman was transported to the detention center and charged with theft by shoplifting.
Passing through
Deputies from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office were called to a possible burglary on Tuesday evening on Fairview Road. When they arrived, a resident had the suspect standing outside in the yard in front of a large trailer.
According to reports, the deputy asked the suspect, identified as Aaron Grant, what he was doing in the back yard of the complainant’s residence and Grant reportedly said he was walking to store.
While speaking with Grant the deputy allegedly noticed that he was acting odd – the suspect’s speech was slow and he reportedly appeared to be confused. When asked if he had any medical problems, Grant couldn’t understand the deputy and had to have the question repeated several times, according to reports.
When asked if he knew where he was Grant reportedly told the deputy he had no idea, first saying he had walked to Newton County from Stone Mountain and that he started walking the previous evening, then changing his story and allegedly telling the deputy he came from Lithonia, though he was unable to give the deputy his address. He reportedly told deputies he was coming from a friend’s house but could not remember where that was located either. He allegedly told deputies that his friend had told him that if he walked through "the cut" he would come out at the BP gas station. The only problem with that was the nearest BP was roughly four miles away, according to reports, and in the opposite direction from which he was walking.
According to the complainant however, he first noticed Grant walking near Fairview Road, cut back up the driveway and then head into the rear of the residence. He then began walking around the trailer and acting suspicious, according to witness statements. Grant reportedly admitted he had no reason to be on the property and was subsequently arrested for loitering and prowling and public intoxication.
On the way to the detention center, Grant allegedly told the deputy he was scared because the emergency lights on the patrol car, which were activated at the time, made it sound like "something was going to blow up." The deputy assured Grant that the sound was just the emergency lights, but Grant was still frightened. According to reports, Grant tucked his head between his knees and said that he was going to "ride like this so when the sound explodes it won’t hit his head."
