Four charged in break-in, thefts

By Amelia A. Pridemore
Register-Herald Reporter

July 25, 2008 11:15 pm

— State Police say two adults and two juveniles have been charged with breaking into a house under construction and stealing more than $1,000 in power tools — twice.
William Adam Tucker, 24, who has addresses in Daniels and Maple Fork, Shawn O. Gillespie, 18, of White Oak, a 16-year-old girl from the Daniels area and a 17-year-old boy from the Raleigh area face charges of breaking and entering, grand larceny, felony sale and transfer of stolen property and conspiracy to commit a felony, Senior Trooper R.A. Daniel said.
Warrants have been issued for the adult suspects, and juvenile petitions are on file for the underage ones, Daniel said. Both juvenile suspects and Gillespie are cooperating with authorities, and Gillespie is expected to turn himself in.
Tucker, however, has fled, Daniel said.
Sometime after 6 p.m. July 18, a homeowner left his under-construction house in Cool Ridge, Daniel said. The house, with its roof, doors and windows installed, was secured, with several power tools inside. The four suspects were “riding around” in a car the female juvenile was driving when they apparently decided to break into the house, chosen at random.
Tucker left the vehicle and pried open a window, Daniel said. The other male suspects then allegedly followed him into the house and loaded the car with several tools. They fled to another residence where they “hung out” for a while, Daniel said. Afterward, they allegedly came back to the house and took even more tools.
Daniel said the suspects stole more than $1,000 in tools, including large saws, drills, nail guns and various other construction-related power and hand tools. Victims included the homeowner and others working on the house.
The next day, the suspects sold the tools at several different Raleigh County residences, Daniel said. After executing search warrants and after some buyers cooperated, troopers recovered the majority of the tools at two Coal City homes, one residence in the MacArthur area and another in Maple Fork.
The suspects were identified after troopers conducted interviews and discovered forensic evidence at the crime scene, Daniel said.
Daniel said Tucker is on parole for similar crimes and that the new charges could constitute a parole violation.
Daniel said Tucker has grown a goatee since he was last photographed by the state Division of Corrections.
Anyone with information about Tucker’s whereabouts is encouraged to call State Police at 304-256-6700 or Crime Stoppers at 304-255-7867.