On Thursday, March 1, 2012, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested three persons for stealing an air conditioning unit from a Subway restaurant.
At approximately 10:00 a.m., a concerned citizen reported to CCSO that some air conditioner parts were located in a roadside ditch on Racetrack Rd near the Columbia County Fire Dept. Sgt Mike Sweat responded to the scene to investigate. When Sgt Sweat arrived, he noticed a red pickup truck parked off the road near where the a/c parts were located. Sgt Sweat approached the vehicle, occupied by a female, when he observed a male subject running through the woods away from his location.
Additional CCSO patrol deputies responded to assist in the search for the fleeing suspect. Deputy Matt Grinstead and his K-9 partner Zombie were able to track the suspect. The suspect was located lying face down in the wooded area, attempting to hide from the deputies. He was taken into custody without incident. It was determined that a second male suspect had also fled into the woods. The second suspect was captured by deputies near SE Patio Gln. He was arrested without incident.
Deputies discovered that the three suspects were using the wooded area to strip the copper out of an air conditioning unit. The suspects had planned to sell the copper to a secondary metals recycler outside of Columbia County.
It was determined that the air conditioner was stolen earlier that morning from the Subway restaurant located at Baya Avenue and Country Club Rd. The owner of the Subway estimates that it will cost over $5000.00 to replace the a/c unit at his business.
Deputies discovered a loaded .22 caliber handgun in the suspects’ vehicle in addition to narcotics paraphernalia. Additional charges are pending on all three suspects as this investigation moves forward.
Arrested:
Jeffery Scott Douglas, 02/09/1977
7622 S.E. Country Club Rd., Lake City, FL
Charges: Grand Theft, Resisting Arrest without Violence, Possession of a Weapon, Possession of Burglary Tools, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,ossession of Narcotics
Bond: $30,000.00
Justin Lewis Jerrells, 04/06/1988
780 S.E. 242nd St., Cross City, FL
Charges: Grand Theft, Possession of Burglary Tools, Resisting Arrest without Violence, Possession of Narcotics, Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Mischief
Bond: $18,000.00
Falon Teress Veal, 08/10/1991
53 S.E. 253rd St., Cross City, FL
Charges: Grand Theft, Criminal Mischief, Resisting Arrest without Violence
Bond: $7,000.00
