According to reports, Madison police officers foiled a brazen theft attempt at the Days Inn located at 2020 Eatonton Road on the morning of Aug. 5.
Officer Jonathan Mills was dispatched to the motel at approximately 6 a.m. and found Corporal Andy Koth already on scene and in the process of detaining two suspects, one male and one female. The pair were on the ground next to a hotel trolley loaded with a safe and a small sledgehammer. The report said the safe appeared to be heavily damaged but not opened.
The female, later identified as 39-year-old Veronica Lynette Davis of Atlanta, told police the owner of the hotel told her to smash the safe open. The male, later identified as Jaeqwon H.L. Davis didn’t speak, but officers found a small bag of suspected marijuana in his pocket.
Veronica Lynette Davis was charged with theft and criminal damage to property. Jaeqwon H.L. Davis was charged with theft, criminal damage to property and possession of marijuana (less than 1 ounce).
Mills and Koth continued their investigation after the suspects were taken to jail and found tracks in the grass leading to a large double door in the back of the motel. The door was unlocked and, according to the report, it led to a hallway to the front desk where the owner said he had observed the pair removing the safe and placing it on the trolley on the motel’s closed-circuit television system.
He then called 911 to report the crime.
Detective Andre Johnson later determined that the estimated property damage was approximately $2,000.