Smith reportedly found hiding in house after stealing gasoline

A man found hiding in someone else’s house after he allegedly stole gas from a nearby residence was bound over to the grand jury on burglary and theft charges.

The suspect, Justin R. Smith, 28, was bound to the grand jury by General Sessions Judge Larry Ross on charges of aggravated burglary, theft, burglary, attempted aggravated burglary and possession of drug paraphernalia.

His charges come after lawmen were summoned to Ivy Bluff Trail near Centertown to answer a call from a neighborhood resident who said she had seen a man trying to break into her house. However, unable to get into the house, the woman said the man decided not to go away empty handed.

‘The man, when he failed to get inside her house, went to her outbuilding and took a gallon of gas from inside the building and put it into the tank of his truck,’ said Sheriff’s Lt. Jody Cavanaugh in the theft warrant against Smith.

Cavanaugh arrested Smith after he found him hiding in a nearby home ‘ a home where he was not supposed to be. The officer said, as he was responding to the original call, he noticed a vehicle matching the description of the one which had just left the scene of the gas theft, sitting in a neighbor’s driveway. Upon looking inside the house, Cavanaugh said he saw the suspect inside and motioned for him to come to the door. It was when the officer spoke to him that he found the man was not supposed to be there.

‘He stated he did not live at the residence and had gone in to get jumper cables,’ Cavanaugh said in his warrant charging aggravated burglary. ‘He did not have permission to go inside the residence.’

Cavanaugh noted the homeowner told him the house was locked, suggesting Smith found a way to illegally enter the house.