Deputies responding to a 2 am burglar alarm at the Dollar General caught a burglar armed with a claw hammer in the act and ended up holding him at gunpoint.
When a deputy arrived at the Proctorville store, they found the front door locked but the side door open. The deputy went in to check and heard footsteps inside the store. The officer called for backup and continued tracking the footsteps.
The deputy spotted a suspect in a ski mask and held him at gunpoint and cuffed him. The man, who was wearing a tactical vest, told the officer he wasn’t armed, but had left a bag with a knife behind the store.
When the deputy searched the suspect, they discovered he had helped himself to multiple key rings belonging to the store. He also told the officer he had originally planned to bring an airsoft gun to the store because he thought it would look cooler.
A local firefighter pulled into the parking lot while the officer was arresting the young suspect and assisted with the arrest.
The suspect told the officer he owed someone $600 and had planned to take food and money. However, he was disappointed to find there was no money in the register drawers. He confessed to using a claw hammer to pry open the door and then disabled the alarm system after it started going off by pulling it out of the racks and yanking out the wires.
When other officers arrived, they discovered bags filled with tools and a bow case with multiple arrows in it. Officers arrested the suspect, who was underage, and transported him to the Juvenile Justice Center on charges of breaking and entering, vandalism, and possession of criminal tools.