The reluctant felon

After a lengthy ordeal, police retrieved three firearms in the possession of a convicted felon at 50 Cedar Road in Covington.

On Saturday, July 12, deputies arrived at the residence at 4:35 a.m. in response to a neighbor’s complaint that a person was shooting a gun in the yard which was close to other homes and roads.

“I was informed by a neighbor that the male at 50 Cedar Road was shooting the gun and had others in his yard with him at the time the firearm(s) was discharged,” wrote reporting officer Deputy Beau Alexander. “The neighbor said he yelled to the man shooting the gun and said he was yelled back at with swear words and racial comments.”

At the neighbor’s advisement, Alexander located two shells on the ground in the area where the shooting occurred.
After seeing someone moving past the door in the residence, deputies attempted at length to get the attention of homeowner Joshua James Suttles, 35, by ringing the doorbell and knocking and banging on the front door.

Officers asked Suttles if he had been firing a gun in the yard and if he had possession of a firearm. Suttles, a convicted felon, said he had no knowledge of a shooting nor did he have a gun in his possession. Deputies explained that neighbors had issued a complaint and they had located bullet casings near his front door.

Suttles then told deputies they could search the home for firearms, though he did not have any.

“Once inside the home, Suttles gave consent to search his home again and then told deputies that he did in fact have ‘1’ gun in the home under his bed,” Alexander wrote.

Deputies found three firearms in the residence – two shotguns, a loaded handgun and bullets, all hidden in Suttles’ bedroom.

Suttles was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and taken to Newton County Jail.

Police on patrol for diesel gas thief

A total of 322 gallons of diesel fuel was stolen at the Liberty Food Mart at 2080 Crowell Road in Covington.

Officers were dispatched on Wednesday, July 9 at 2:53 p.m. after Ahiemad Ali Jivani issued a complaint in reference to a theft.

“Upon arrival I spoke to the complainant, who stated person(s) unknown is pumping diesel fuel out of the underground tank,” wrote reporting officer Kelly Singley.

On Wednesday, July 9, 121 gallons were taken, and on Friday, July 11, 201 gallons were stolen. Jivani believes the fuel is being stolen between midnight and 5 a.m. and requested extra patrol.

Ice cream a la windshield

It was a rocky road the night of Saturday, July 12 when Officer Christopher Bowles arrived at the intersection of Jack Neely and Harold Dobbs roads after being called about damage to a vehicle.

Rashaun Baugh said someone in front of him threw an object out their window that then hit the windshield of his 2002 Hyundai Elantra. Baugh followed the vehicle to a Dunning Keep address.

The thrown object? An ice cream cone.

“I observed a small crack at the base of the windshield on the passenger side,” wrote Bowles in the report.