Social media helps cops charge 3 suspects, clear 27 burglaries

By David Ibata

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Social media helped Douglas County authorities clear the books of 27 break-ins and charge three men with burglary and racketeering, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Douglas County Sheriff's Office Jonathan Lanier Martinez, of Douglasville, has been charged with burglary and racketeering in Douglas County. Douglas County Sheriff's deputies say he and two other men are suspected in 27 break-ins in that county.

More Atlanta area news »

• Father: Aimee Copeland speaks
• Georgians reflect on Memorial Day
• Police looking for missing Johns Creek woman
• Man drowns in Lake Allatoona

Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies said they arrested the suspects in December and recovered a stash of stolen goods including Xboxes, TVs, watches, cell phones and jewelry. Not knowing the rightful owners, investigators posted photos of the merchandise on the sheriff’s Facebook page – and the calls started pouring in.

“People started seeing this stuff on Facebook,” Lt. Bruce Ferguson said. They’d call, he said, and tell investigators, “I was broken into, and that’s mine.”

Douglas deputies said that for five months last year until they were arrested, the suspects would target neighborhoods in the Central Church Road, King's Highway, Dorsett Shoals Road area of the county.

The men would wait for people to leave for work, then go up to a front door and knock, authorities said. If no one answered, the suspects allegedly would go around to the rear of a home and kick down a door to gain entry.

As more people stepped forward to claim their stuff, the case grew from a burglary investigation to a more serious one of racketeering.

“We had 27 burglaries we cleared in this case, and once you start finding stuff like that, it just starts clicking,” Ferguson said.

Charged with multiple counts of burglary and racketeering were two Douglasville men, Kenny Dewayne Wade, 19, and Jonathan Lanier Martinez, whose age was not immediately available, and Jayquwan Twillie, 19, of Atlanta, authorities said.

Martinez is being held in Douglas County Jail, while Wade and Twillie are in custody in Cobb County Jail on burglary, criminal trespass, obstruction and other charges stemming from alleged crimes in that county, jail records show.