The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

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  • Russell Cody Hyde

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  • Samuel Whitt

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February 11, 2012

3 charged with 152 total felonies

From Staff Reports Dalton Daily Citizen

Three Whitfield County residents have been charged with multiple felonies related to a wave of at least 50 car break-ins across the county, with some dating to September 2011.

Samuel Virgil Whitt, 26, of Maple Grove Road, Dalton, and Blake Edward Duarte, 20, of Coral Way, Dalton, are both charged with 45 felony counts of entering an auto, five counts of felony theft by taking motor vehicle and 15 felony counts of financial transaction card fraud.

Russell Cody Hyde, 23, of 1816 Tunnel Hill-Varnell Road, Tunnel Hill, was charged with 20 felony counts of entering an auto and two felony counts of theft by taking motor vehicle.  

“The three are believed to be responsible for entering and taking property from as many as 50 vehicles, which were parked in victim’s driveways during the night,” Sheriff Scott Chitwood said in a press release. “They are also responsible for stealing at least five vehicles.”

Investigators believe the first thefts happened the night of Sept. 13, 2011, when two of the three suspects broke into vehicles parked at residences in the Airport Road area and the Highland Forest area. Ten vehicles were burglarized and two vehicles were stolen.

On Dec. 11, 2011, members of the group entered vehicles on Foxmore Circle in the Dug Gap area and also stole one vehicle.

On Dec. 24, 2011, they broke into vehicles in the Varnell area, and on Feb. 2 struck in the  Sam Love Road area, breaking into 11 vehicles and stealing one vehicle. Several credit cards were stolen from the vehicles and some were used by the suspects.

Regarding the thefts in the Sam Love Road area, an official said the perpetrators smashed windows, but in other instances vehicles were not locked up, making it easier for the thieves.

On Monday, investigators developed Whitt as a suspect and received information he was staying at the Hyde’s residence. When officers arrived at the residence, Whitt attempted to flee out the back door, but was apprehended in a wooded area behind the residence a short time later.

A search warrant was used at the residence and some of the property stolen from the vehicles was recovered. The investigation later revealed two other suspects were involved with Whitt in the thefts. Duarte allegedly was with Whitt on all the thefts and Hyde was allegedly with Whitt during several of the thefts.

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