Dateline: September 22, 2005

One arrest solves 23 burglaries in area

By Roger  Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

With one arrest last week the Donley County Sheriff’s Department solved three local burglaries and cleared 20 other crimes in eight Panhandle communities.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn and Chief Deputy Randy Bond traveled to Pampa and arrested 22-year-old Cody Williams on a warrant related to the August 24 burglary of Sam Hill’s BBQ.

“We really just went over there on a hunch, and it paid off big,” Blackburn said.

Williams had recently been arrested in Vega on a crime using the same modus operandi as in the Sam Hill’s break-in and was also recently found with several two-dollar bills on his person – a peculiar denomination which was the only thing taken from the barbecue restaurant.

Blackburn and Bond acquired a confession on the Sam Hill’s break-in as well as burglaries at Country Bloomers Flowers & Gifts and the Asian Café.

Williams also gave confessions and signed statements on two burglaries in Panhandle, two in Groom, two in White Deer, two in Fritch, two in McLean, three in Wheeler, three in Borger, and four in Gruver.

“This guy had basically been on a crime spree for three or four weeks,” Blackburn said.

Williams, who has a prior criminal history for theft, remained in the Gray County Jail on Monday morning on three Donley County warrants, and other counties a preparing to file charges on him.