A Rockmart man remained in jail on multiple theft and burglary charges after items he took from a storage shed were found in plain view in his front yard.
Larry Ray Ballew, 33, of 3253 Cedartown Highway, Rockmart, remains in the Polk County Jail following his arrest on Monday, May 31 on an $11,000 bond on eight misdemeanor counts of theft by receiving stolen property and two counts of felony burglary in the second degree.
According to Polk County Police reports, the victim of the theft told officers that items had previously been stolen on May 9 and he had made a report then, and that additional items were taken from A Storage Buildings on Bethlehem Road. The latest theft reported on Monday included a 30″ Snapper riding lawn mower, and items taken previously included a step ladder, multiple toolboxes, drills, a pressure washer, and other tools.
Following the report made less than an hour before, the victim called police back to say he had spotted his stolen items – including the lawnmower and ladder – in the front yard of a Cedartown Highway address in Rockmart.
Police met with the victim again, and headed to Ballew’s address where they found the items in plain view, including the mower which was in the process of being painted gray. The paint bucket and brush were sitting next to the mower.
Additional items were found in the house and on the back porch taken in the two incidents.
Ballew, who wasn’t at home, arrived 30 minutes later after a family member called him to return to the residence and meet with officers. Ballew explained that he had bought the items from another man for $250. He couldn’t explain how he had come to procure some of the other stolen tools found in the house and around the yard.
He was taken into custody without further incident and charged, and remains in jail on the $11,000 bond.
