Two Fairfield residents have been charged with residential burglary and burglary in connection with a burglary to a rural Iuka home early Monday morning.
46-year-old Daniel Brockett of Wayne County Road 1400E and 39-year-old Carrie Cullins of Southeast 4th Street were taken into custody Monday night after Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies had been called back to the area to investigate a suspicious vehicle.
Sheriff Kevin Cripps says Brockett was arrested following questioning after the vehicle was stopped. Cullins was arrested a short distance away after another alert neighbor had reported a suspicious person walking along the Route 161 extension nearby.
Cripps says after a burglary last week, the owner had installed cameras at the home. Around 2:30 Monday morning, they remotely saw someone trying to break into the home again. Deputies searched for several hours and were unsuccessful in setting up a canine tracking after a man was seen running from the home. Cripps now believes Cullins had crawled under the home and hid there overnight.
A car connected to Brockett had been found earlier stuck in a nearby field. Cripps says Brockett had returned to the area later in the day Monday with a relative to try and find Cullins.
Cripps says some of the items stolen from the home have been recovered at another residence.
Judge Mark Stedelin denied a request to hold the two in jail. While the State’s Attorney’s office said the two were a threat to the safety of the community, the judge ruled they was not clear and convincing evidence to detain the two. Stedelin ordered they be released with GPS monitoring. Public defenders were appointed to represent the two.
The sheriff is very appreciative of the assistance from those in the neighborhood and said they always welcomed calls or tips through the sheriff’s app to investigate suspicious activity.
The sheriff’s department is also investigating the Fairfield residents for their possible involvement in other burglaries in the area.
Another burglary was reported Monday afternoon that had occurred sometime Sunday night at a garage of a home in the 7600 block of State Route 161 Extension. The owner reported the door pried open, but nothing taken. A pair of shoes was left behind.
