Suspect photographed driving stolen mower

Posted 7/10/19

A Warren County man is being charged for a burglary and theft in June, during which authorities say he was photographed riding away on a stolen lawn mower.James M. Patton, 58, was charged in Warren …

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Suspect photographed driving stolen mower

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A Warren County man is being charged for a burglary and theft in June, during which authorities say he was photographed riding away on a stolen lawn mower.James M. Patton, 58, was charged in Warren County Circuit Court Sept. 20 with second-degree burglary, stealing and resisting arrest.According to a charging document, at around 7:45 a.m. June 2 a Warren County deputy was called to a home on the 2200 block of Highway F for a theft in progress. A neighbor called 911 after seeing a man removing items from the house and then leaving on the homeowner’s red Agco Allis riding lawn mower. The witness took a photo of the man, later identified as Patton, driving the mower away on Highway F.While a deputy was still at the scene, Patton drove past again, this time on a motorcycle. The deputy initiated a pursuit, during which Patton did a U-turn in an apparent attempt to get away, only to stop a half-mile later at Highway F and Tranquil Oaks Road, authorities said.After confirming Patton as the driver, deputies determined that Patton’s driver license was suspended and the motorcycle was unregistered.A lawn mower matching the stolen vehicle was located at Patton’s residence on Tranquil Oaks Road, authorities said. The deputy saw drag marks believed to be caused by the lawn mower, leading from where it was stolen to Patton’s residence.At the burglarized property the deputy found a parked Chevy Suburban that authorities said is registered to Patton. Inside the vehicle, the deputy found a trash bag full of various items, including a VFW letter addressed to the homeowner, the sheriff’s office said.Authorities said tracks from the lawn mower led back to a barn where the exterior lock had been broken.Arrest


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