Decatur man accused of stealing furnace from public housing to provide heat for girlfriend
In a sworn statement obtained by WCIA, Officer Jeffrey Hockaday said that Michael Webb, 37, had a home on Neely Avenue, but he also shared a second home with his girlfriend and another housemate. That home, located on North 31st Street, is owned by the Decatur Housing Authority and on Jan. 17, the DHA evicted the trio.
Decatur teenager accused of pointing stolen, loaded gun at friend during argument
Three days later, a maintenance man who entered their former home found the furnace and water heater missing, along with copper piping from the air conditioning unit and a utility closet. Hockaday said the duplex's property manager suspected Webb and his girlfriend.
Continuing to investigate, Hockaday said he learned Webb recycled 13 pounds of copper piping with Mervis Recycling on Jan. 30 and 31.
The Macon County Sheriff's Office arrested Webb and his girlfriend on Feb. 16 in connection to a different burglary. Hockaday said that when deputies served a search warrant for Webb's home on Neely Avenue that day, they found the furnace and water heater stolen from the DHA duplex.
The third housemate who lived with Webb and his girlfriend was present when the warrant was served. Hockaday said he spoke with investigators and told them he was aware of the burglary on 31st Street.
'(The housemate) advised they were going to move into Michael's residence…which did not have heat,' Hockaday said. '(The housemate) advised that Michael broke into (their former home) where he stole the water heater and furnace because he wanted (his girlfriend) to have heat.'
Woman shot by 'masked male' in Decatur; police investigating
By the time deputies served their search warrant, the furnace had been hooked up and was operational while the water heater was not.
Hockaday said that another search warrant was served Feb. 21 and Webb voluntarily pointed officers to the location of both the furnace and the water heater. After being read his Miranda rights, Hockaday said Webb admitted to breaking into the 31st Street home after eviction and stealing the items.
Macon County court records show Webb is charged with a single count of burglary, a Class 2 felony. He was released from custody with conditions and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 12.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Steam room sex assault vics can reach out to Equinox workers, New York appeals court says
A state appeals court has cleared the way for lawyers of those who say they were sexually assaulted inside steam rooms at Equinox gyms to find and contact possible witnesses. The decision is believed to be the first of its kind in a civil case, said Marc Held, an attorney for the victims. Equinox ran to court after Held sent letters to 71 Equinox employees in December 2022 about the now long-running lawsuit, in which 11 people claimed they were 'sexually assaulted, attacked [or subjected to] indecent exposure' in the popular gym chain's steam rooms — and that management knew and did nothing to stop it. Advertisement The company claimed Held should have warned the workers that whatever they said about the alleged sexual assaults could hurt Equinox, and that they should speak with an attorney. Nearly a dozen victims sued Equinox, claiming the gym chain knew its steam rooms were hotbeds of sexual assault. UnitedPhotoStudio – A judge in the Brooklyn case agreed, deciding in April 2023 that Held should have included the legal caution in his brief letter. Advertisement Held appealed, and this week the Second Judicial Department of the state appeals court reversed the earlier ruling. Equinox has denied the allegations, which date back to at least 2018. Christopher Sadowski 'We are pleased that the Appellate Division put an end to Equinox's attempt to obstruct and silence sexual assault victims,' Held told The Post. The 2018 case is ongoing. Advertisement There were so many complaints about the bad behavior that Equinox 'drafted a template response to go out to such victims,' according to court records. Held described Equinox's bid for the legal warning as 'def-facto Miranda rights,' a reference to the description of rights typically given to someone arrested in a criminal case. 'There should be no such requirement or constraints in a civil case,' he said. Equinox lawyers didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
Man charged after postal worker stabbed in Miami road rage incident, police say
A 27-year-old man has been charged with aggravated battery and weapon use in a felony after allegedly stabbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier during a road rage incident, according to the Miami Police Department. On July 21 at approximately 2:43 p.m., Biscayne Park police responded to reports of a mailman stabbed in the 11700 block of NE 10th Avenue. Officers arrived to find the victim, a 60-year-old USPS employee, in uniform and bleeding from a stab wound to the chest while parked in his mail truck. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center for treatment. His current condition has not been released. Officers located the suspect, identified as Valentino Jlil, near the scene, holding a knife and bleeding from a cut on his finger. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Biscayne Park Police Department, where he gave a sworn, taped statement after being read his Miranda rights. According to investigators, the confrontation began when the mail carrier inadvertently failed to yield to Jlil, who was riding an electric scooter. Police say Jlil became angry, blocked the mail truck, and initiated a verbal and physical altercation that escalated into violence. Jlil faces charges of felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and use of a weapon while committing a felony, police said.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
A Jaguar F-Pace was driven into this shop and £6,000 of goods were stolen
A Jaguar F Pace was driven into the front window of a family-run department store in the middle of the night before more than £6,000 worth of goods were stolen. An investigation into the burglary at Webbs Stores in Crickhowell has been launched and officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. Dyfed-Powys Police say that a white Jaguar F Pace, with three male occupants, was used to "gain entry" into the store before they left with more than £6,000 worth of goods shortly after 1am on Wednesday, July 23. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident. READ MORE: A470 near Cardiff closed after car flipped in serious crash READ MORE: Concern grows for man who flew to Tenerife three weeks ago but never came back Peter Webb, who runs the store, told WalesOnline: "It's distressing and upsetting but we're not going to let it beat us." After the crime scene investigators left, the family and staff quickly cleaned up to reopen the store. "It's all been boarded up and we are back up and running," Mr Webb said. "Obviously it's going to take some time now to replace the window and whatever, but we're not going to let it get to us. You've just got to carry on. You can't let these people win. "We've still got a business to run. We've been here for 90 years so we're not going to let this bring us down." Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here Police have said that the items stolen from the store were: STIHL pressure washers STIHL hedge trimmer STIHL leaf blowers STIHL strimmer's STIHL chainsaws Mr Webb added that the police had arrived to the store quickly and have been "excellent". CCTV has been handed over to detectives and the family hopes that officers will find those responsible. Dyfed-Powys Police is asking for anyone who has information that could assist with their investigation, or have been offered an opportunity to purchase any of the items above to get in touch, quoting reference. 25*605421 Dyfed-Powys Police can be contacted online, via email (101@ direct message on social media or by calling 101. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting
