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The Lowndes County Sheriff’s office apprehended a suspect Thursday, a local man accused of stealing resources from local classrooms.

A Gordonville man, Jermichael McCall, 32 was arrested on July 18 in connection with two robberies at Central High School in Hayneville. He is held at the John Hulett Detention Facility facing charges of third-degree burglary and first-degree theft of property.

According to investigators, McCall executed at least two break ins at the school on July 15 and July 17.

“I’m really proud of the fact that we were able to recover some of the stolen property,” West said. “Investigators Randell Johnson and Miranda Timmons worked together to bring [McCall] in.”

Officers received a call Monday and discovered two windows shattered at the campus’s Career Tech building. On Wednesday, principal Archie Curtis alerted investigators about a second robbery when he discovered classroom windows broken.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the crime scene and recognized McCall’s vehicle. According to Johnson, investigators located McCall, who admitted committing the robberies, at a residence on Wall Street about four miles from the school.

“We recognized the vehicle,” Johnson said. “We went to the location where we knew the vehicle should be, and we didn’t make contact the first time, but we went back an hour or two later and saw the vehicle parked behind the residence like it was hiding. That’s how we apprehended him.”

Resources taken during the robberies included lumber, electronics, computers, tablets, generators and other equipment used in the Lowndes County Public Schools’ Career Tech welding program. 

McCall admitted to having already sold stolen items, and Lowndes County Public Schools Superintendent Samita Jeter said the robbery is a blow which will set back career training for students.

“[The robbery has set us back with learning in the welding class,” Jeter said. “Career Tech programs are the pathway to learning about career options. This [robbery] is stealing from the children.”

Sheriff’s investigations commander, Tony Green, said he is proud of the team’s work.

“I think it was outstanding police work by investigators Johnson and Timmons,” Green said. “The recognized the vehicle, knew the area well enough to know where the vehicle could possibly be and then followed up to recover some of the equipment.”