Arrest Made in Weekend Auto Burglaries
There were at least thirteen vehicle burglaries in the northwest part of Rankin County over this past weekend. The burglaries were concentrated to the Scottish Hills and Castlewoods neighborhoods. All of the vehicles burglarized were unlocked and items such as guns, cash, and electronics were taken.
In some of the Rankin County Burglaries, victims were able to supply the sheriff’s office with video, which was instrumental in identifying the suspect.
Based on Investigator Sprowles information and video surveillance evidence, it was quickly determined that DAVIS was the prime suspect in Rankin County. When this information was posted on the law enforcement social media site, Investigator John Cooley with Madison Police Department reached out to lead Rankin County Investigator Michael Chandler stating DAVIS was also a suspect in some vehicle burglaries in their jurisdiction. Investigator Cooley was able to secure three felony warrants on DAVIS. Rankin County Investigators Chandler, DiMartino and Burleson coordinated with Investigators Sprowles and Cooley along with the US Marshal’s Service to located and apprehend DAVIS.
DAVIS was located on Dalton Street in Jackson where he was taken into custody. At the time of his arrest, Investigators were able to locate, in plain view, items stolen from some of the Rankin County burglaries and well as property from Clinton.
A search of the residence did not produce any additional stolen property. The weapons that were stolen were sold on the streets in Jackson at various gas stations, according to early statements given by DAVIS.
A criminal history on DAVIS shows his first arrest in April of 1997 and his most recent was February 2016. DAVIS has been arrested five times for vehicle burglary, two times for grand larceny, two times for motor vehicle theft, four times for stolen property and four times for felon in possession of a firearm. Some of his arrests had multiple charges. It is unclear at this time how many counts of vehicle burglary he will be facing in Rankin County as well as his charges in Madison and Clinton.
The burglaries in Rankin County were committed early Saturday and Sunday morning, through the diligent work of Madison, Clinton and Rankin County Investigators, this habitual criminal will be in for a new experience when he goes before Madison/Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest.
DAVIS was transported to the Rankin County Jail, where he is currently charged with multiple counts of vehicle burglary. Clinton and Madison will be working their charges at the same time as Rankin.
This is a great example of citizens and law enforcement working in concert to remove a public menace from the streets. If it were not for the collaborative effort of all agencies involved, there is no question DAVIS would have victimized many more citizens in the Tri-County area.
Thank you to the Clinton Police Department, Madison Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service for helping us apprehend this career criminal.
Kingfish note: Readers may remember Woodrez Davis. He was the subject of a confrontation between Clinton Mayor Phil Fisher and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith in 2015. JJ reported in April 2015:
When does habitual mean habitual in the Hinds County criminal justice system? Meet Woodrez T. Davis. 9-time felon. His first felony conviction took place in 1999. He was granted parole and released from the custody of MDOC on January 2015. Despite a record of eight felony convictions, Hinds County prosecutors agreed to drop the "habitual offender" designation in a plea bargain with Davis in March 2014. He is currently a suspect in several burglaries in the Clinton area. He is currently in jail for four charges of auto burglary in Hinds County.
A Hinds County grand jury indicted Davis for possessing and receiving stolen property in January 2013. The indictment listed these felony convictions:
shoplifting (1996)
receiving stolen goods (1999)
felon with a firearm (1999)
vehicle burglary (2001)
vehicle burglary (2001)
vehicle burglary (2001)
receiving stolen goods (2010)
receiving stolen goods (2010)
receiving stolen goods (2010)
However, the District Attorney's office agreed to drop habitual status for Davis. The prosecutor also agreed not to revoke his probation for his 2010 conviction. Davis would have been sentenced to the maximum sentence and had to serve day for day of the sentence if he was convicted as a habitual offender.* Earlier post...
However, Davis was charged with nine (yes, nine) counts of auto burglary by Raymond police as well. There are no indictments for the charges. Raymond Police Chief Jason Crotwell said none of his officers were called to testify before the grand jury on those charges. It appears there is no prosecution of Davis for those charges.
Mr. Smith dropped the habitual offender status again despite being asked not to do so by Mayor Fisher. JJ reported on October 5, 2016:
Hinds County Circuit Judge Bill Gowan approved a plea deal that dropped the habitual offender classification and only gives Davis a short time in prison.You are reading that correctly. The Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith voluntarily dropped habitual offender status for this career criminal and worked out a deal that turned him back out on the streets in less than a year.
A Hinds County grand jury indicted Davis on two counts of auto theft and classified him as a habitual offender in January. Davis pleaded guilty last week to two counts of motor theft. Judge Gowan sentenced him to all of seven years in prison but suspended five years of the sentence. He also sentenced him as a non-habitual offender despite his previous nine felony convictions. The indictment states he is classified as a habitual offender but the prisoner commitment notice also states that he is sentenced as a non-habitual offender.
However, this is the sort of thing that happens all too often in the office of the Hinds County District Attorney. Jackson voters are fine with this record despite their wails about crime and their "Stop the Violence" rallies.
Once again, Rankin County has to do Mr. Smith's job for him. There is simply no excuse for Woodrez Davis to be back out on the streets.
Remember, the D.A. said "it is only four criminals." Only four, until you are the victim.
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