Parish burglar suspect arrested

Published 12:06 am Thursday, March 7, 2013

VIDALIA — A New Roads man allegedly wasted no time getting back to the business of burglarizing Concordia Parish businesses finding himself back behind bars just 20 days after being released for similar crimes.

Cornelius Jermaine Kelly, 28, of 824 Hospital Road, New Roads, was arrested Tuesday on charges of simple burglary (four counts), simple criminal damage to property and aggravated burglary.

Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Investigator Phillip Webber said Kelly is the suspect in a string of burglaries in the area including burglarizing the Handitrak in Clayton, Sonny’s Food Mart in Wildsville and Delta Fuel in Ferriday.

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“Basically, it’s more the damage he did to the businesses than what we took,” Webber said. “He busted the front windows to all the locations and just made a mess inside.

“We’ve been looking for him very hard for about a week, and we were finally able to find him.”

Webber said Concordia Parish Narcotics Task Force agents and U.S. Marshals found and arrested Kelly Tuesday afternoon at an abandoned trailer on Doty Road in Ferriday.

Webber said Kelly is also a suspect in a burglary at Graham’s Jiffy Mart that the Ferriday Police Department was investigating.

Kelly was arrested in 2008 on similar simple burglary charges after he burglarized B and J Auto Detailing, Wendy’s, Popeye’s and Home Hardware.

Kelly was also arrested in 2010 for burglarizing Kentucky Fried Chicken in Ferriday.

Webber said Kelly was released on those charges on February 14.

The investigation, Webber said, is still ongoing and more charges could be forthcoming.