Local burglars captured

Published 12:04 am Thursday, August 18, 2011

The two men believed to be responsible for five vehicle burglaries in the Andalusia Country Club area allegedly stopped only when they could carry no more.

Sgt. Jody Scott said Tyler Eugene Pate, 20, and John Snowden, 27, now face a host of theft-related charges after the two walked from property to property checking for unlocked vehicles sometime between 10 p.m. Monday and 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Pate

“They said they were bored and wanted to ride the roads, but they didn’t have any gas money,” Scott said, as to the men’s motive for the burglaries. “One of them knew one of the victims kept a gas jug in the back of his truck, so they parked at the residence and got items from the victim’s vehicle.

“From there, they decided to walk the neighborhood,” he said. “If the vehicle wasn’t locked, they went through it; if it was, they moved on. At the last residence, they had all they could carry, so they returned to their vehicle.”

The two men apparently stole an array of items including approximately $2,000 in cash, a laptop, a 9 mm Beretta handgun, liquor, credit cards, IDs and a child’s backpack, Scott said.

Snowden

He said the two were identified after they attempted to use the stolen credit cards.

Both are each charged with six counts of unlawful breaking and entering of a motor vehicle and five various counts of theft of property. They are currently being held in the county jail on a $116,000 bond.