By Jason A. Smith
jsmith@henryherald.com

An alleged burglar is in the Henry County Jail, after he was caught sleeping in the bedroom closet of one of three homes he is accused of breaking into.

Henry County police arrested Lorenzo Darnell Abbott, 17, of Griffin, and charged him with three counts of criminal trespassing, two counts of burglary, and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. Police believe the Spalding County man is homeless.

Abbott appeared Thursday in Henry County Magistrate Court, represented by the Public Defender’s Office. Judge Robert Godwin set a total bond of $36,050. Abbott’s preliminary hearing is set for April 6.

The first reported burglary took place between Feb. 3, and Feb. 4, on Prity Court in McDonough, according to a March 4 arrest warrant. The warrant, filed in magistrate court, states that Abbott entered the Prity Court home by prying open a rear window, “removing a Dell laptop computer, Nike shoes, a radio/alarm clock, a Lebron James jersey and a cordless telephone.”

The second alleged burglary occurred Feb. 14, also on Prity Court, according to a Henry County Police report by Officer Enrico Godfrey. Godfrey’s report says that a neighbor heard a “loud noise” outside her home at approximately 10 a.m.

“She went and looked outside, and observed a black male with a red bike going through a fence behind Prity Court ... She followed the subject to Regency Park Drive.”

A witness was then informed of Abbott’s identity and called police.

“Upon my arrival at the incident location, I observed the rear door kicked open,” Godfrey wrote. “I observed damage to a light fixture, and the ceiling tile in the dining area. I also observed damage to several decorations in the living room, and a broken mirror. The damage was estimated to be over $500.”

A warrant in connection to the break-in at the home, also issued March 4, says Abbott broke into the home on two separate occasions, “using the kitchen appliances and otherwise squatting in the residence.”

The third alleged incident, police said, took place Wednesday, March 17, in an abandoned home on Coral Circle in McDonough. A report by Henry Police Officer Danny Gibbs says authorities received a call at approximately 8:08 a.m., in reference to a “suspicious person” in the area.

“I ... checked the residence and found [Abbott] sleeping in an upstairs bedroom closet,” Officer Gibbs wrote in his report. “Next to where Mr. Abbott was laying, on a small table, I found a brown ‘blunt’ type paper wrapper. The wrapper was rolled up like a cigarette. Inside, it contained a green, leafy substance suspected to be marijuana.”

Gibbs added in his report that he ran a check on Abbott with the Georgia Crime Information Center, which showed the suspect was wanted for burglary. Abbott was then arrested and taken to the Henry County Jail.