Duo arrested for string of early morning break-ins | Crime

AUBURN, AL - Two men were arrested in Auburn for breaking in to several convenience stores early Thursday morning.

Auburn Police say that officers responded to an alarm at a convenience store on the 1700 block of Shug Jordan Pkwy at 2:56 a.m. on Nov. 1.

They found a glass door broken out and what appeared to be a large amount of cigars and cigarettes missing.

The officers were called to another break in about 20 minutes later at a beverage store in the 1100 block of South Donahue Dr.

Officers found yet another broken glass door at the business and it looked like multiple bottles of alcohol were missing.

The suspects fled the scene before the police arrived.

Minutes later, patrol officers stopped a dark green Ford F-150 on South College St. as it got on to I-85. The truck matched the description of a vehicle believed to have been involved in a business burglary the day before.

In that case a convenience store located in the 2400 block of South College Street was broken into at approximately 3 a.m. and a large amount of cigarettes were stolen.

The driver, Marquette L. Phillips, age 29 of Mathews, Alabama, and the passenger, Jamie D. James, age 39 of Montgomery, were taken into custody after property stolen from the two businesses was found inside the truck.

They were both charged  with two counts of third degree burglary and two counts of second degree theft of property.  

The two men were transported to the Lee County Detention Center where they are currently being held. 

The investigation continues and other charges on Phillips and James are pending.