2 men face burglary charges
Charges have been filed against two men accused of committing burglaries Easter Sunday night after severe thunderstorms hit the county.
The Webster County Sheriff’s Department said around 3:20 a.m. April 13, deputies were dispatched to the Bellefontaine area after a neighbor witnessed a home being burglarized.
A few members of the Walthall Fire Department were out at this time because of the severe weather that downed trees countywide earlier that night (on Easter Sunday), and kept the suspect on scene until deputies arrived, according to the sheriff’s office.
When deputies arrived on scene the male suspect was detained. He was later identified as Justin Lee Richardson, 20, of Bellefontaine. Deputies determined that forced entry had been made into the residence, and property identified by the owner was recovered from the suspect’s vehicle, the sheriff’s department stated. The burglary occurred at the residence of Carolyn Pierce on Highway 9, according to an affidavit later filed against Richardson by Deputy J.C. Smith in Webster County Justice Court.
Richardson was arrested and charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, malicious mischief and possession of stolen property. The affidavits filed against him allege Richardson possessed a rocking chair, flowerpot, two car battery chargers and a space heater, and created ruts in Pierce’s yard.
Richardson was released from the Webster County Jail the afternoon of April 14 after posting a $21,000 bond.
He was arrested again Thursday night, along with another man, after warrants were served against them in connection with another burglary that apparently was committed before the one in Bellefontaine.
Richardson and Charlie Austin Williamson, also 20, were each charged with commercial burglary and malicious mischief . Affidavits filed by Smith accuse them of attempting to break into Fox Run Quick Stop on U.S. 82 in Ticky Bend and breaking the front glass door on April 13.
The two men posted $7,000 bonds Thursday night. Richardson is scheduled to appear in Webster County Justice Court at 2 p.m. May 1. Williams was awaiting an initial hearing on Monday.
Local woman accused of lying about diagnosis
A Eupora woman is facing a felony charge after Starkville police say she lied to medical personnel about her positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
The Starkville Police Department said in a press release that Latasha Sanders, 29, of Eupora was charged with violating health department orders with respect to life-threatening communicable diseases.
The charge resulted from officers responding to a call on Hospital Road on April 11 to the report of an individual seeking medicine under false pretenses, the release stated.
The Starkville Daily News reported Thursday that an affidavit filed against Sanders alleged she lied to medical staff at an unnamed facility about testing positive for the virus, “causing measures for others’ safety to be negated because of her actions.”
Child neglect charge reduced
A Eupora man who had been charged with felony child neglect has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.
Robert L. Wofford, 30, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor child neglect in Webster County Justice Court on Friday.
Judge Rebecca Ellison fined Wofford $462 and set up a payment plan for him, according to court officials.
Wofford was arrested March 18 after deputies and a Eupora police officer responded to a call around 3 a.m. of a lost child on East Roane Avenue. They found a 4-year-old male child walking in the road near Piggly Wiggly.
An affidavit filed against Wofford charged him with allowing the autistic child to leave the home on various occasions unsupervised.
