Coins, jewelry, handgun stolen from Rossville residence

Catoosa County detectives are investigating a theft case involving guns and jewelry that were stolen from a Rossville residence.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, the theft occurred sometime between Sept. 13 and 23 on Edsel Drive near Mack Smith Road.

The victim told police she discovered her handgun missing on Sept. 21 and the additional items missing on Sept. 23.

Several hundred dollars in coins were stolen from a backpack, as well as several necklaces, earrings, and the single-shot .45-caliber pistol. The handgun is described as black with white handles and an octagon barrel.

The total value of the stolen property is an estimated $1,850.

Anyone with information regarding the theft or the missing property is encouraged to contact Detective Johnny Cunningham at the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department at 706-935-2424.

More than $7,000 in guns stolen from Chickamauga home

Catoosa County sheriff’s detectives are investigating a recent burglary in Chickamauga that resulted in the theft of $7,500 worth of guns, officials say.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, the burglary occurred Sept. 17 on Red Belt Road near the Walker County line.

Deputies were dispatched to the residence around 12:15 p.m. and were informed that multiple guns were missing from the home.

The victim stated he left his residence the night before at approximately 10 p.m. and returned home to find three taken from his couch.

The man told police his back glass door was open when he arrived. He was certain he dead-bolted the door before leaving, so he claimed someone must have picked the lock, reports show.

Two Italian 12-guage shotguns and one Remington handgun were taken during the incident.

Anyone with information about the burglary or the missing firearms is encouraged to contact the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department at 706-935-2424.

Rossville man arrested while allegedly burglarizing apartment

A Rossville man was arrested in Catoosa County after for allegedly attempting to burglarize a Fort Oglethorpe apartment, police say.

According to the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department:

Richard William Durham, 38, of Parkwood Drive, was arrested Sept. 25 on charges of first-degree burglary, loitering/prowling, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime. His bond was set at $9,500.

Fort Oglethorpe officers were dispatched to Acorn Lane just before 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 when a witness reported a burglar breaking into a neighbor’s apartment.

When officers arrived, they couldn’t find a suspect in the area, but soon discovered he was still inside the residence.

Durham had allegedly busted out a window to gain entry into the apartment, and officers found him hiding in a bedroom closet wearing gardening gloves, reports show.

Officer Marcus Alford said Durham gave several stories about how he came to be in the home.

“He advised he came to the residence to take a shower due to him not having hot water at his nearby trailer,” Officer Alford said.

Durham then stated he knew the resident and had permission to be in the home.

In addition to the forced entry, officers also observed several bedroom and kitchen drawers pulled out with property in disarray.

One witness actually claimed to have seen Durham breaking into the back window of the apartment, and officers found muddy footprints in the home that matched Durham’s shoes.

Durham was taken to Catoosa County jail without incident, and officers were able to make contact with the resident who was not home at the time of the burglary.

Ringgold man admits DUI after speeding, driving on sidewalk

A Ringgold man was allegedly very cooperative and even remorseful while being arrested on several traffic charges including DUI recently in Fort Oglethorpe, police say.

According to the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department:

Michael Lee Burnett, 31, of Valley View Drive, was arrested Sept. 23 on charges of DUI, open container, failure to maintain lane, failure to signal, and improper use of a turn lane.

Burnett has been released from jail on bond, jail documents show.

The incident involving Burnett began just after 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 23 when officers observed him driving erratically along Lafayette Road near Battlefield Parkway.

Officer Micah Alexander says Burnett was weaving in and out of traffic an even ended up on a sidewalk at one point.

Once the stop was initiated, Alexander says Burnett admitted he was in bad shape.

“Mr. Burnett immediately advised me he had had ‘way too much to drink,’” Officer Alexander said.

Burnett couldn’t recall exactly how much he had to drink only that it was “way too much.” He allegedly had to keep using his vehicle for balance, reports show.

Alexander says Burnett was unable to complete the field sobriety tests that were administered.

“He continued to interrupt, telling me to take him to jail because he was too intoxicated to perform the tests,” Alexander said.

When officers surveyed Burnett’s vehicle, a flask was found in the passenger seat and he admitted that it was full of Bullet whiskey, reports show.

9-mm handgun reported stolen from Rossville trailer

A 9-mm handgun was recently stolen from a mobile home on Trace Lane in Rossville, police say.

According to the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department, the theft occurred between 3:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the mobile home community just off Prater Road.

The victim told police that his Taurus 709 slim 9-mm pistol was stolen from an end table in his living room, reports show.

The victim said he didn’t know who might have taken the weapon, but added that only a select few knew the gun was in the home.

Deputies didn’t detect any signs of forced entry, and the pistol was the only item stolen from the home during the incident.

Anyone with information regarding the burglary or the stolen firearm is encouraged to contact the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department at 706-935-2424.

Home burglarized in Ringgold’s Windstone subdivision

Catoosa County detectives are investigating a residential burglary that recently occurred in the gated Windstone community off Ooltewah-ringgold Road.

According to the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department, the incident occurred on Sept. 14 on Windstone Drive.

The victim called police and claimed that he left town on Sept. 14 and was notified by a neighbor late that evening that the glass was smashed out of the back door of the home.

“The neighbor advised an unknown offender busted the glass out of the back door, unlocked the door, and went into the residence,” Deputy Zachary Roden said.

Moving boxes containing purses and dishes were taken from the home, as well as multiple suitcases, reports show.

The home is inside a gated subdivision with an attendant present, which led Deputy Roden to believe that whomever committed the crime may have gained access to the home using an unconventional route.

“With the residence being just east of the exit gate for Windstone on Swanson Road, and the point of entry being on the backside of the residence, it is likely that the offender(s) accessed the backyard of the residence from Swanson Road,” Roden said.

Anyone with information about the burglary or the stolen property is encouraged to contact Detective Michael Tinker at the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office at 706-935-2424.