Sheriff’s office arrests two, recovers stolen guns

Published 4:21 pm Monday, April 6, 2009

Butler County sheriff’s deputies made a pair quick arrests following a break-in last week in Greenville.

Deputies arrested and charged Marcus Mickles, 24, and Desmond Jones, 18, alleging both burglarized a home on Burger St. last Wednesday and stole two rifles, one shotgun, and a Playstation video game system.

Homeowner Phillip Brown said he returned home Wednesday afternoon to find his front door forced open. He said he called 9-11 immediately and Greenville police responded to the call.

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“It was a shock to the system,” said Brown.

Brown said he had serial numbers recorded for both the rifles and the shotgun. He said he called Sheriff Kenny Harden because he heard the suspects were trying to sell either one, or all of his firearms on the street. Deputies were able to recover one rifle along the side of a road, said Harden, and matched the rifle to one of those reported stolen by Brown.

The investigation led them to a home on Haygood Dr. where deputies located a van they had reason to believe was used on the crime, said Harden. Deputies searched the home and found the other firearms and the video game system hidden in the ceiling, he said.

Mickles was already wanted on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court, said Harden.

Harden said the arrests were made because of Brown’s willingness to assist law enforcement in finding the suspects.

Brown, though, deferred to the sheriff’s department.

“They (the BCSO) did a great job,” he said.