By Joe Johnson
A Madison County man was recently arrested after he stole two guns from a vehicle that was parked at a local convenience store, according to an Athens-Clarke County police report.
The incident occurred Friday morning at Circle K on U.S. Highway 29 North.
According to the report, a Comer man was leaving the store at about 10:25 a.m., when he saw a man who he knew to be Damond Ladean Hewell in the passenger street of his pickup truck.
When the man confronted Hewett, the suspect ran toward Old Hull Road with a rifle and semiautomatic pistol that he stole from the truck, according to the report.
When police officers arrived they established a perimeter and subsequently located Hewell, who tried to run but was caught after a brief foot chase, according to police. When captured, the police report noted, Hewell was in possession of the stolen guns and a suspected pipe used for smoking methamphetamine.
During an investigation, an officer located Hewell’s girlfriend in a car that was parked nearby, and while talking to the woman the officer noticed a pistol that was unrelated to the thefts was inside the vehicle.
It was determined that Hewell had been illegally in possession of that gun because he was a convicted felon, according to the report.
Hewell, 38, of Amberly Drive in Hull, was charged with entering an automobile with the intent to commit a felony, two counts of theft by taking a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and possession of a drug-related object.
A Circle K surveillance camera captured images of Hewell entering and rummaging through the victim’s truck, according to the police report.
Hewell was released from the county jail Monday afternoon, upon posting good security bonds totaling $8,450, according to the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.
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