Two people are in jail facing charges related to breaking into a local restaurant twice in one week.
Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell said Officer Blaze Waldroup responded to a call Monday, Feb. 26 regarding a burglary at Ms. Stella’s restaurant on Hogan Industrial Boulevard. Cardwell said that sometime during the night, someone removed the window unit air conditioner from the side of the building and crawled through the window and into the restaurant.
The burglar took the cash register, which contained $80, Cardwell said.
On Thursday of that same week, another burglary happened at the same restaurant, Cardwell said. Officer Waldroup responded again and was assisted by Officer Rebecca Meeks.
Entry was made into the restaurant in the same manner as earlier that week, and a cash box was stolen, “but it did not contain any money,” Cardwell said.
Security camera video from a nearby business helped the officers identify the suspects, along with a paper receipt from another local business that had been inadvertently dropped on the floor.
Ironically, a traffic ticket issued by another EPD officer before the break-ins also proved the suspects had been in the vicinity and the car together, Cardwell said.
On Monday, March 4, Jamie Blackmon, 44, of Armour Rd., Monticello, and Demetrius Martin, 49, of Bonner St., Monticello, were both arrested on felony burglary charges. Cardwell said Blackmon admitted that she did the Monday break-in alone, and both of them were involved in the second break-in.
They are being held without bond in Putnam County Jail. Cardwell said both Blackmon and Martin were currently on bond for similar charges in Jasper County.