A Texas County man was arrested last Wednesday after allegedly burglarizing Dent County Farm Supply the previous night.
Joseph M. Berry, 60, of Roby, has been charged with felony second-degree burglary, felony receiving stolen property and misdemeanor property damage, according to court documents. Bond for the two felony counts was set at $25,000 cash only and $1,000 cash only for the misdemeanor.
The probable cause report states a detective with Salem Police Department responded to Dent County Farm Supply at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday upon discovery that its front door had been shattered.
A review of the store’s video surveillance footage revealed a male suspect entering into the building around midnight and stealing Stihl power equipment by making multiple trips in-and-out of the business. Among the items stolen were: 16 chainsaws, three trimmers, two backpack blowers and one power saw. The report estimates the total value of items to be $9,085. The property damage to the business was estimated to be $282.
The report states the surveillance footage indicated the suspect left the store walking westbound until he was out of sight from the camera. A K9 from the Dent County Sheriff’s Office tracked the scent from the suspect’s last known location to a nearby wooded area where law enforcement found four chainsaws, three trimmers, two backpack blowers and one power saw at that location. Not found were 12 chainsaws.
A manager at Dent County Farm Supply recognized the suspect as Berry, who the manager said had been in the store the previous day, according to the report. A review of the previous day’s surveillance footage showed Berry arriving at the store driving a maroon and silver Dodge Intrepid. A check of the vehicle’s registration confirmed Berry’s identity.
The detective investigating the case responded to Berry’s Roby home Wednesday with a Texas County sheriff’s deputy. Berry denied knowledge of the burglary when interviewed. A search of the premises did not locate the missing 12 chainsaws.
Berry was taken into custody and transported to the Dent County Jail. As of noon Thursday, he was still incarcerated pending payment of bond.
SALEM NEWS