Robbery plants ‘Appleseed’ in jail

Published 10:37 am Friday, January 15, 2010

A robbery late Monday afternoon near Brantley led law enforcement on a manhunt that ended in an arrest and several charges for a Rutledge man.

28-year-old Johnny Ray Wilson, who is also known as Johnny Appleseed, was apprehended and charged with possession of a controlled substance, second degree theft of property, carrying a pistol without a permit, first degree burglary and second degree possession of marijuana.

The ordeal began in the Battle Hill area near Brantley, where the victim was in the back of his residence when he heard a window shatter.

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The victim then allegedly saw the suspect reach through the broken window, where he took a billfold containing money and then fled the scene.

After a call to 911, three Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Deputies responded, and they were soon joined by the Brantley Police Department, the Luverne Fire Department, Brantley Fire and Rescue, Dozier Police and Fire Deparments, the State Troopers, a state helicopter, equipment from Homeland Security and law enforcement from Covington County with tracking dogs.

After getting an idea of where the suspect was, the law enforcement set up a large perimeter and put the tracking dogs to work.

Wilson was found around 9 p.m. in the woods just south of the Dry Creek camping area, and police recovered money, a .45 semi-automatic Taurus pistol and amounts of crack-cocaine and marijuana.

He is also suspected in other cases currently under investigation.

“This was a great example of law enforcement working together,” said sheriff Charles West. “We even had some local citizens help us with information. Overall, it was cooperation that made this possible.”