MORGAN COUNTY
A burglar who was brazen enough to break into Madison’s temporary city hall and make himself a pot of coffee after ransacking several city offices has been arrested.
Jimmy Lee Love, 65, of Madison faces theft and criminal damage to property charges following the incident.
According to reports, City Clerk Ashley Hawk said she locked up the temporary city hall building on Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. When she returned the next day at 1 p.m. during the Chili-Cook-off, she noticed the office had been burglarized.
Police Officers Amanda Brown, Mike Maxwell and Emily Eaton cleared the building and found that file cabinets had been opened and office supplies had been scattered everywhere.
Hawk’s office and Finance Officer Karen Stapp’s office were both ransacked, and nine dollars were found missing from petty cash. Computer screens and phones were knocked over as well.
It was also determined that the suspect rummaged through the office refrigerator as well before making himself a pot of coffee and drinking it in full view of surveillance cameras.
A window was also broken, and police officers believe that is where the burglar entered the building.
After viewing surveillance footage of the man who broke into the building, Sgt. Jeremy Hoffman and Eaton were able to identify him as Love.
Investigator Andre Johnson took fingerprints from the side door Love reportedly touched as he was leaving.
Later in the afternoon, Officer Maxwell was dispatched to a Vine Street address in reference to a found check.
Love told Maxwell he found a letter on E. Washington Street from the Madison Downtown Development Authority containing a check for $20,000.
The letter and check had been stolen from city hall earlier in the day. Love also had an office calculator and a set of mailbox keys on his person.
Maxwell arrested Love and transported him to the Morgan County jail.