Fwd: FW: Citizens' CourtWatch Notice RE: State v Charles Lee Echols - Plea & Arraignment on Wed., Nov. 28, 2012 @ 1:00 PM - Judge Downs CR: 7F
Teague Buchanan
From: "Winslow, Cleta" <cwin...@atlantaga.gov>
Date: Nov 27, 2012 1:32 PM
Subject: FW: Citizens' CourtWatch Notice RE: State v Charles Lee Echols - Plea & Arraignment on Wed., Nov. 28, 2012 @ 1:00 PM - Judge Downs CR: 7F
To:
FYI.
CW/te
From: CourtWatch [mailto:Court...@fultoncountyga.gov]
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2012 12:32 PM
To: CourtWatch
Subject: Citizens' CourtWatch Notice RE: State v Charles Lee Echols - Plea & Arraignment on Wed., Nov. 28, 2012 @ 1:00 PM - Judge Downs CR: 7F
SUPER BURGLAR
WHAT: State v Charles Lee Echols - Plea and Arraignment
WHEN: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 @ 1:00 PM
WHERE: Judge Doris Downs - Courtroom 7F
Fulton County Justice Center Tower
185 Central Avenue, SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
On August 22, suspect Charles Echols was arrested on an outstanding parole violation warrant. He had been spotted at 699 Lexington Avenue SW with a black bag and transported to Zone 3 precinct. Upon investigation, Inv. Gurley discovered that the contents of the black bag included several items reported stolen from a residence on Yorkshire Rd. NE, out of Zone 2. Gurley contacted the Zone 2 investigator handling the case and spoke with the victim who came to retrieve his possessions, all but a laptop bag and bottle of whiskey. Echols confessed to the Yorkshire burglary and explained to Investigator Gurley that he frequently finds home to burglarize in the area near Amsterdam and Monroe. It was discovered that on the same day he burglarized the residence on Yorkshire, he also took the laptop bag and whiskey from a home located on Amsterdam Ave. Echols told Gurley that he could show him the locations of the other homes he burglarized.
On August 23, Gurley contacted Zone 2 investigator Maxine McGrath and the two interviewed Echols again while riding around to several of Echols’ burglary locations. While on the ride along, the two were able to secure a confession from Echols to 9 other residential burglaries. The following is a list of homes (addresses removed) Echols admits to burglarizing between July 23 and August 22:
Amsterdam Ave NE- Zone 6
N Highland Ave. NE- Zone 6
Monroe Dr. NE- Zone 6
Yorkshire Rd. NE- Zone 2
N Morningside Dr. NE-Zone 2
Barclay Pl. NE-Zone 2
Monroe Dr. NE- Zone 2
Yorkshire Rd. NE- Zone 2
Cumberland Rd. NE-Zone 2
Sherwood Rd. NE- Zone 2
E Morningside Dr. NE- Zone 2
Gurley matched the stolen items listed in the reports to the information given by Echols and McGrath did the same for the Zone 2 burglaries. An additional cell phone found on Echols’ person was confirmed stolen from a victim on Peachtree Circle NE. Gurley forwarded this information to Investigator Buckley in Zone 5 CID.
On August 25, Investigator Buckley interviewed Echols at the Fulton County Jail. Echols volunteered to ride around with Buckley and show him the homes that he burglarized. Echols admitted to burglarizing a residence on Peachtree Circle and admitted to stealing a coin bank and two cell phones. Echols described how he commits the burglaries, i.e. targeting houses with isolated yards or trees obstructing view from street, entering through rear and after noontime when residents are away. Buckley drove Echols to the scene of another Zone 5 burglary fitting the suspect’s M.O. and Echols admitted to burglarizing that residence, located at 9th Street NE.
On August 29, Buckley served warrants for the Zone 5 burglaries and forwarded the case to the DA’s office.
The case was re-indicted to add the burglaries from Zone 6 that were left off the initial indictment. Investigator Gurley collected stolen items from Defendant’s residence as a pawn shop that Defendant used to sell burglary proceeds. He then had several victims come in to claim their belongings. This case has upwards of 10 victims. The value amount of the items stolen exceeds $75,000.
Tiffany Harlow
Zone 2 Community Prosecutor
Assistant District Attorney
Please contact Janet Martin at janet....@fultoncountyga.gov or 404.699.5297 if you plan to attend this CourtWatch date and for additional information. Free parking is available at the Turner Field Orange Lot with free shuttle service to and from the courthouse with a Citizens' CourtWatch Parking and Shuttle Pass. Please wear your
CCW Lapel Pin. New CourtWatchers will be provided with pins on site.
Thank you for being "The Eyes and Ears of the Community in Court!"
