Two people were charged Monday with a series of burglaries shortly after a man returned to his home in the Stallo community, found them inside and was able to furnish the sheriff's office with a tag number and description of their vehicle, the authorities said.
Carla Ellingburg, 20, and Matthew Cal Smith, 24, both of 530 Henley Ave., were charged in connection with seven burglaries, three of which occurred on Monday.
They were arrested Monday night at Hillcrest Apartments.
Authorities had wanted to question Smith's brother, Robert Smith, 34, of North Carolina, whose body was found Saturday at a residence on Road 2608.
"We had received some information that he might have been involved in some of these burglaries," Sheriff Donnie Adkins said. "His body was found Saturday. We believe he died of a drug overdose. An autopsy was ordered."
Authorities were already looking for Ellingburg in connection with some of the other recent burglaries and were in the process of getting a warrant to search the Henley Avenue residence when the burglary occurred
at Stallo late Monday afternoon, the sheriff said.
The tag on the vehicle believed involved in the burglary was registered to Ellingburg's grandmother, Adkins said.
Later Monday evening some of the stolen property was found during the search of the Henley Avenue residence. However, authorities believe most of it, including all the flat screen televisions, were sold to individuals.
Some of the jewelry reported stolen in the burglaries was recovered in area pawn shops.
Ellingburg and Smith were first charged with the burglary on Road 842 in the Stallo community and following an investigation, the six others.
"The owner came home Monday about 4:40 p.m. and caught them in the house and saw them jump out a window," the sheriff said. "He called 911. All they had time to get was some jewelry."
The two are charged with a burglary that was reported on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at a residence on Road 717 in the House community. The same house had been hit by burglars about 13 days earlier.
The owner returned home from work to find someone had taken such things as fishing poles and rods and reels from the utility room off the carport. A camera was reported missing in the first burglary when the house was ransacked, Ralph Sciple, sheriff's investigator, said.
Ellingburg and Smith are also charged with a burglary at a house and shed on Road 1715 in the East Neshoba community.
The owner came home from work Friday to find that his back door had been kicked in. Reported missing from the house were a computer, DVD player, camera and keys to a four-wheeler, among other items. Several tools were also stolen from a nearby shed.
The fourth burglary the couple is charged with occurred Friday night at a house on Road 505, commonly known was Deemer Road.
The owner returned home from a high school football game to find that someone had stolen a 32-inch flat screen television, two Browning rifles and a laptop computer.
The fifth burglary they are charged with occurred on Monday at a residence on Road 824 in the Arlington community. While entry was not made inside the residence, two ferns and a leaf blower were reported stolen from outside.
"A neighbor came up about the time and they ran off," the sheriff said.
Ellingburg and Smith are charged with a sixth burglary at a camphouse on Road 727 in the East Neshoba community that was reported on Monday. The owner returned to the camphouse to find that a door had been kicked in and two flat screen televisions and two hunting bows were stolen.
The final burglary the two are charged with occurred on Sept. 28 at a residence on Road 288 in the House community. A Wii electronic game, money and jewelry were reported missing.
Sheriff Adkins said he was glad to have solved the seven burglaries.
"We have been working hard on this and we are really happy that we caught them," he said.
Three additional burglaries which occurred in September in close proximity of each other remain under investigation.
A house on Road 450 was ransacked and several items taken after someone broke in through the back door, Adkins said.
"It looks like they spent some time there inside," he said. "They had a safe in the house and they spent some time trying to tear into it. They basically beat it to death but never did get inside."
Reported missing from the home and nearby shop were a television, drill, saw, industrial grinder, prescription drugs and several items from a freezer including steaks and pork chops.
A second unsolved burglary was reported that same day at a house on Road 717 in the same vicinity.
A digital camera, camcorder and glass jar containing coins were reported missing after someone gained entry into the house through a carport door.
The next day a burglary was reported at another house on Road 450 in which items were stolen from a freezer.
"No one was living in the house at the time," Adkins said. "We think those three occurred on the same day and we feel confident that we are looking for the same people due to the evidence gathered at the scene of each of them."
Anybody with information on any of the burglaries was asked to call the sheriff's office at 601-656-1414.
