PRC sheriff’s department continues investigation on serial burglar

Published 7:00 am Thursday, June 25, 2015

Miller.

Miller.

Investigators with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department continue to examine burglaries allegedly conducted by 44-year-old Stephen Miller of 356 Zion Road.

Miller was arrested after he allegedly took three air conditioners from a home located on the 7000 block of Hwy. 43 N. on May 23, Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said.

The sheriff’s department arrested Miller on May 30 after they received tips from citizens about Miller’s location in Pearl River County, Tucker said.

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According to previous Item coverage, Miller was known to frequent areas in the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Bogalusa, La.

Several days prior to the arrest, Louisiana law enforcement pursued Miller, who was driving a stolen vehicle into Mississippi. He later fled from authorities on foot, Tucker said.

Miller remains in custody and told deputies he’s responsible for 100 thefts in Pearl River County, Tucker said.

“We’ve been unable to corroborate those claims. The fact is he’s stolen a lot of people’s property and we’ve been able to recover only some of the items we believed he stole,” Tucker said.

Miller also claimed responsibility for thefts in Louisiana’s Washington Parish and in Lamar, Hancock, Stone, Harrison and Forrest counties, Tucker said.

Investigators with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department have been able to establish Miller’s possible involvement in two other local burglaries, Tucker said.

Sometime in May, Miller allegedly took various tools from a residential shed located at the 300 block of Beasley Alexander Road in Carriere, Tucker said.

Through investigation of the case, deputies were able to recover a skilsaw, a palm sander and a tile saw. Other stolen items included a weed eater, an air compressor and a chainsaw, Tucker said.

The shed door was secured with a bungee cord so it’s believed Miller squeezed through the door to steal the items, Tucker said.

When investigators learned about the burglary, they alerted the homeowner, who had realized moments before that she was missing several items in her shed, Tucker said.

In another case, Miller is said to have committed grand larceny in May by stealing a large dump trailer valued at $5,600 from the 100 block of Sones Chapel Road in Carriere, Tucker said.

Through investigation of the case, deputies learned Miller reportedly used the trailer as collateral to borrow money from a man in Harrison County, Tucker said.

The man Miller was in contact with called the Harrison County Sheriff’s office several days after Miller hadn’t paid him back, Tucker said.

On Friday, May 22, deputies from Harrison County recovered the trailer, which was found in the county and later returned to its owner, who reported it stolen to local authorities on June 5 when he realized the trailer was missing, Tucker said.

Miller is currently in custody with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department for commercial burglary, residential burglary and grand larceny.

Other law enforcement agencies covering areas where Miller allegedly took property are investigating his involvement in reported burglaries to determine whether or not to press charges, Tucker said.

His bond is set at $10,000 for residential burglary. Bonds have yet to be set on the other charges, Tucker said.