It all started as four friends hanging out.
Add a few beers, maybe a sports game on TV and boredom would set in. The group would walk around the Chapel Hill neighborhood, just looking for something to do, according to Douglasville police.
But the “fun” was criminal activity, including at least $36,000 worth of vandalism, property damage and arson, Detective Brandon Nutter said Thursday. Now, the men — three 27-year-olds and one 24-year-old — are in the Douglas County jail, thanks to an alert community and social media.
The spree of up to at least 20 crimes began early in the year, Nutter said.
“They first started in January by pulling some mailboxes out of the ground and spray painting some street signs. There were a few more incidents of mailboxes being pulled up out of the ground in January,” Nutter said in an emailed statement. “It then escalated when three of the four damaged the tennis courts and golf greens in late March.”
Security cameras in the area provided police with pictures that were posted on Facebook. In late April, buses at a daycare center were damaged when seats were slashed and a fire extinguisher was set off inside, Nutter said. On May 11, a bus was set on fire, he said.
An alert citizen spotted some of the suspects and was able to provide police details about the home where the men were seen, Nutter said. Surveillance footage helped investigators link various crimes, according to police.
The suspects, including two brothers, are:
- Matthew Johnson, 27. His charges include second-degree arson, seven misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass damage to property, 11 misdemeanor counts of damaging a mailbox, and six felony counts of criminal damage to property.
- Jose Santiago-Ramos, 27. Charges include two misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass damage to property, two misdemeanor counts of damaging a mailbox, and one felony count of criminal damage to property.
- Jesus Santiago-Ramos, 24. Charges include second-degree arson, seven misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass damage to property, 11 misdemeanor counts of damaging a mailbox, and six felony counts of criminal damage to property.
- Eric Pruitt, 27. Charges include party to the crime of second-degree arson, five misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass damage to property, nine misdemeanor counts of damaging a mailbox, and five felony counts of criminal damage to property.
All four men were being held in the Douglas County jail without bond Thursday.
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