THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 1995 TAG: 9512200616
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Short : 29 lines
An 18-year-old Smithfield man was charged Tuesday in connection with three burglaries that were believed to be related to a series of similar incidents since Dec. 1 in Isle of Wight and Surry counties.
Donald Christopher Watkins was charged with three counts of burglary, three counts of grand larceny and two vandalism misdemeanors and was served at Western Tidewater Regional Jail, where he is awaiting trial on an unrelated charge, Isle of Wight Sheriff C.W. Phelps said.
Watkins, of the 200 block of Irvin Drive in Smithfield, was arrested and jailed last week on a charge of shooting into an occupied dwelling, Phelps said.
The most recent charges resulted when police connected Watkins to burglaries that occurred in a two-week period. Little of value was taken, but the dwellings were vandalized. Police said burglars left money lying on the floor and expensive items behind but they opened Christmas presents and ate.
Phelps said more arrests probably will follow.
He also said the Isle of Wight burglaries appear to be connected to those that occurred in Surry County at about the same time. by CNB