Less than ten minutes after suspicious activity was reported to the Fannin County 911 center, an accused burglar found himself in the backseat of a Fannin County deputy sheriff’s patrol car headed to jail.
David Lee Roper, 54, of 740 Liberty Hill Road, Morganton, has been charged with a pair of felonies, burglary in the first degree and aggravated assault, according to arrest warrants.
He was arrested just after 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 and remained in jail Friday, July 29, under a $75,000 bond.
“A watchful eye in the community” started the chain of events that led to Roper’s arrest, Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby said.
Roper was identified as the suspect who was seen by a neighbor entering a house in the 500 block of Liberty Hill Road.
The neighbor had spotted a white Honda CRV in a nearby driveway that did not belong there. The witness then observed someone enter the residence and come back out carrying items.
The witness confronted the suspect who then fled the scene.
The witness followed the suspect who turned into another driveway and drove underneath a chain that was supposed to block it. A “No Trespassing” sign hung from the chain. That driveway was about two tenths of a mile farther up Liberty Hill Road.
The witness followed from a distance and watched Roper unload items he had taken from the residence and leave them close to a nearby shed.
The witness approached Roper who was sitting in the car and attempted to pull his door open. Roper drove away, striking the witness with the door, but causing only superficial injuries.
Back on Liberty Hill Road, Roper was quickly stopped and taken into custody by deputies Courtney Peper and Corporal Jesse Godsey.
The Fannin 911 center received the call about Roper’s actions at 1:04 p.m. and he was in custody at 1:13 p.m., according to dispatch records.
“They did a superb job,” Kirby said of the two deputies who made the arrest.
“Their quick response and their handling of the situation shows how seriously our uniformed patrol deputies take burglaries. Our men and women are on the road day and night keeping an eye on homes, looking for anyone or anything that might be out of place,” Kirby said.
“Just like last week’s arrest shows, a watchful eye goes in a long way in helping deputies do their job. Citizen involvement can help catch a thief. If you see something, let us know,” Kirby said.