Burglar's weekend crime spree is short-lived

August 23, 2007

BRADDOCK — Like the Energizer Bunny, this burglar kept going and going— until a Braddock County Sheriff's deputy finally put an end to his daylight crime spree early Wednesday evening.

Deputy Jeremy Campbell was taking a report from a burglary victim Wednesday in the 300 block of Chantelle Street when he received a radio call that an intruder was inside a nearby home. "He was one street over on Sue Ellen Avenue," Campbell said. The deputy made his way to the 300 block of Sue Ellen Avenue, where he found a door ajar to the home in question. Campbell said he drew his gun and announced his presence to the suspected burglar. "He came walking around the corner," Campbell said. Antonio "Da Crunk" Davis, 25, of Braddock, was arrested without incident. Sheriff's deputies found prescription pills, most of them painkillers, inside his pants pocket and were able to place Davis inside four homes, all of them on Sue Ellen Avenue and Chantelle Street and all of them burglarized late Saturday afternoon. Sheriff's deputies also confiscated jewelry believed stolen from one of the homes.

Davis was slapped with eight felony charges, including four counts of breaking and entering, three counts of possessing a controlled substance and one count of grand larceny. He also was hit with three charges of petty theft. Early Thursday morning, all charges were dropped by 9th Federal Circuit Justice William J. Jennings. Jennings ruled that the deputy failed to secure a search warrant before entering the premises where Davis was arrested.