Man sentenced for car break-ins
A Shelbyville man caught red-handed by police while breaking into cars this winter was issued an eight-year sentence for his crimes.
The defendant, James N. Johnson, 24, entered guilty pleas before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley this week to charges of burglary, evading arrest and possession of burglary tools. He was directed to serve 180 days of his eight-year sentence behind bars, with the balance to be spent on supervised probation.
Johnson was arrested in November after a police officer on routine rounds saw a suspicious figure lurking around car lots on Beersheba Street in the late-night hours. The officer said when he began to approach the man outside Womack Motors, the suspect stashed a box under a car and took off running. Johnson was chased down from behind and placed into custody by police.
A search of the man’s person netted several burglary tools. Lawmen also found stereos and other items which had been taken from cars at both Womack Motors and Jay’s Economy Motors, which are located across the street from one another. A total of nine cars were broken into by Johnson.