Teen Spends Post-Christmas In And Out Of Jail

LaGrange Police have arrested a 17-year-old twice in one day, once after a strange incident at a local fuel station and a second time for an alleged Shoplifting incident.

Early Saturday morning, about 12:54 a.m., officers with the LaGrange Police Department were called to the Circle K fuel station on Lafayette Parkway in reference to reports of a Robbery in progress.

Officers arrived and spoke to the 23-year-old female complainant, who advised she was walking out of the Circle K at the same time an unknown male was entering. She stated she didn’t hold the door for the man, so he became angry and followed her to her car.

The male then allegedly physically held her car door open, preventing the female from closing the door against her will. She stated as he held the door open, the male told her he should beat her and rob her.

The victim then pointed out the male, who had remained in the area and police were able to identify him as Roderious Damon Towns.

According to police, immediately upon making contact with Towns he began yelling and cursing, which caused a loud and violent disruption in the parking lot of the Circle K. Towns was then detained pending the investigation.

Towns then stated he was walking in the Circle K and the female walking into the store did not hold the door for him, which made him angry. So he then walked out of the store and over to her vehicle, where Towns told her that he should “beat her a**,” and forcibly held her car door open so she could not close it. Towns later advised he was sorry for cursing and screaming earlier in the investigation.

Towns also claimed he did not say that he would rob the victim at any time.

Police then spoke with a witness in the Circle K, who advised Towns stated in the store, “What’s up with these <derogatory term for women>” and briefly left the store. He then came back in and stated, Oh no, here come the police.”

As a result of the investigation, Towns was arrested and taken into custody.

Towns, age 17, was arrested and transported to the Troup County Sheriff’s Office where he was booked into the jail and charged with Disorderly Conduct.

Towns was later released from the Troup County Jail on $1,000 bond.

For most people that would be enough trouble with the law for one day, but not for Towns, who somehow found his way in handcuffs again later that afternoon.

About 11:51 a.m., La-Grange Police were called to the Walmart on New Franklin Road in reference to Shoplifting.

While en route, officers were informed the suspects had fled the area on foot, so police surrounded the area and began looking for the suspects.

In the meantime, additional officers made contact with the store’s loss prevention officer, who advised they observed a male select an Airsoft BB gun pistol and hand it another male he was with. The subject was then seen on camera attempting to take the spider wire off the merchandise and conceal it in his boot, while the other party acted as a lookout.

Store employees then confronted the two subjects and they fled the store on foot, running into a nearby wooded area.

Police later reviewed video of the incident, which showed the suspects also select a Gerber knife and CO2 cartridges, making the total theft about $100.

Using K-9 assistance, police were able to locate the suspects and identified them as the aforementioned Towns and a 15-year-old juvenile.

The two were then transportedback to Walmart, where Towns initially stated he did not steal anything, but when confronted with security video, he stated he stole the items because he was falling on hard times. The juvenile also stated he didn’t steal anything. Eventually, the juvenile admitted to acting as a lookout for Towns, but continued to state he did not steal anything.

When asked where the BB gun was, Towns stated it was somewhere in the woods, but he didn’t know its exact location.

As a result, Towns was transported back to the Troup County Sheriff’s Office where he was booked into the jail and charged with Theft by Shoplifting – Less than $500 and Criminal Trespass.

The juvenile was cited for Theft by Shoplifting and turned over to his legal guardian.

Towns was again released from the Troup County Jail, the second time on $2,000 bond.

Tommy Murphy Staff Writer