Police are seeking a woman they said, along with her husband, broke into storage units behind a local auto parts store and stole several items. The man was caught after he tried peddling the loot to area radiator service businesses.
Investigators followed tips from those to whom he tried selling the new radiators, still in the boxes, said Statesboro Police Capt. L. C. Williams.
They soon located Richard Michael Rogers, 46, Deluxe Inn, at the motel where he was residing. Rogers is in custody, but investigators are looking for his wife, Karin Kimberly Penix Rogers, 36, in connection with the burglary, he said.
Statesboro Police Advanced Patrol Officer Richard Beckum responded July 11 to Mallard's Auto Parts on Northside Drive East just before 8 a.m., and spoke with owner Donnie Mallard, who said his business had been burglarized, Williams said.
Mallard told Beckum someone cut the locks off two storage containers behind the store and took several items, he said.
Friday, Beckum responded to a call around 1:30 p.m. to Gary's Radiator Service on Northside Drive West, where witnesses said a man tried selling them "several new radiators still in the factory box," Williams said. The witnesses told police employees at Best Radiator Service, located on U.S. 301 North, had warned them about a man in a "black Dodge Dakota had left their place of business trying to sell some new radiators in the box."
Best Radiator employees contacted Mallard, who went to the business to see whether the radiators were the ones that were stolen from his store, he said.
When Mallard questioned the suspicious man, later identified as Rogers, he "got in his truck and drove off," Williams said. Witnesses got his tag number, which returned to Rogers.
"A short time later Rogers was found at the Deluxe Inn," he said. "Rogers stated he had loaned his truck out to a friend to sell some items in the county."
Statesboro Police Det. Tommy Brown, assisted by Bulloch County Sheriff's deputies, followed up on information Rogers gave that "was found to be false," Williams said. Then, Brown took Rogers to Gary's Radiator Service, where witnesses positively identified him as the man who tried to sell them the radiators, he said.
Brown arrested Rogers, charging him with the burglary of Mallard's Auto Parts, he said. "Rogers' truck was found later and several of the stolen items were recovered."
Later, a witness called police to state they saw a woman, later identified as Karin Kimberly Penix Rogers, "throwing a large blue bag containing a cardboard box into the green trash dumpster located behind the Deluxe Inn," Williams said. "The witness said Karin came out of (the room where Richard Rogers was staying) with the bag."
Brown and Det. Ken Scott recovered the bag and discovered it contained " a cardboard box that contained a new radiator with a matching product code number from Mallard Auto Parts," he said.
Brown learned Karin Rogers is Richard Rogers' wife, and they had both been living at Deluxe Inn, he said. Investigators issued warrants for Ms. Rogers, and Williams asked citizens with any information on her whereabouts to call the Statesboro Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (912) 764-1542 or the police department at 764-9911. "All information received will be held in strictest confidence," he said.
Richard Rogers is being held without bond in the Bulloch County Jail, according to jail records.
Investigators followed tips from those to whom he tried selling the new radiators, still in the boxes, said Statesboro Police Capt. L. C. Williams.
They soon located Richard Michael Rogers, 46, Deluxe Inn, at the motel where he was residing. Rogers is in custody, but investigators are looking for his wife, Karin Kimberly Penix Rogers, 36, in connection with the burglary, he said.
Statesboro Police Advanced Patrol Officer Richard Beckum responded July 11 to Mallard's Auto Parts on Northside Drive East just before 8 a.m., and spoke with owner Donnie Mallard, who said his business had been burglarized, Williams said.
Mallard told Beckum someone cut the locks off two storage containers behind the store and took several items, he said.
Friday, Beckum responded to a call around 1:30 p.m. to Gary's Radiator Service on Northside Drive West, where witnesses said a man tried selling them "several new radiators still in the factory box," Williams said. The witnesses told police employees at Best Radiator Service, located on U.S. 301 North, had warned them about a man in a "black Dodge Dakota had left their place of business trying to sell some new radiators in the box."
Best Radiator employees contacted Mallard, who went to the business to see whether the radiators were the ones that were stolen from his store, he said.
When Mallard questioned the suspicious man, later identified as Rogers, he "got in his truck and drove off," Williams said. Witnesses got his tag number, which returned to Rogers.
"A short time later Rogers was found at the Deluxe Inn," he said. "Rogers stated he had loaned his truck out to a friend to sell some items in the county."
Statesboro Police Det. Tommy Brown, assisted by Bulloch County Sheriff's deputies, followed up on information Rogers gave that "was found to be false," Williams said. Then, Brown took Rogers to Gary's Radiator Service, where witnesses positively identified him as the man who tried to sell them the radiators, he said.
Brown arrested Rogers, charging him with the burglary of Mallard's Auto Parts, he said. "Rogers' truck was found later and several of the stolen items were recovered."
Later, a witness called police to state they saw a woman, later identified as Karin Kimberly Penix Rogers, "throwing a large blue bag containing a cardboard box into the green trash dumpster located behind the Deluxe Inn," Williams said. "The witness said Karin came out of (the room where Richard Rogers was staying) with the bag."
Brown and Det. Ken Scott recovered the bag and discovered it contained " a cardboard box that contained a new radiator with a matching product code number from Mallard Auto Parts," he said.
Brown learned Karin Rogers is Richard Rogers' wife, and they had both been living at Deluxe Inn, he said. Investigators issued warrants for Ms. Rogers, and Williams asked citizens with any information on her whereabouts to call the Statesboro Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (912) 764-1542 or the police department at 764-9911. "All information received will be held in strictest confidence," he said.
Richard Rogers is being held without bond in the Bulloch County Jail, according to jail records.