Official: Arrest part of seasonal increase in auto burglaries

HARRISON COUNTY -- One man has been arrested in the burglaries of five vehicles and two other suspects are sought, Sheriff's Lt. Coley Judy said.

The arrest of Khaalis Dakarai Cole is part of a seasonal increase in auto burglaries across the county, said Judy, who leads the criminal investigations division of the Harrison County Sheriff's Office.

"It's Christmas," Judy said. "That's what happens this time of year when people don't lock their vehicles at night."

The arrest of Cole, 19, was the result of a traffic stop on Dec. 10. Deputies found items in his vehicle that didn't belong to him and the items were later reported stolen from areas around Orange Grove and Canal roads, Judy said.

The stolen items include cash, credit cards, iPads and iPods, he said.

Cole, of Gulfport, was booked at the Harrison County jail on five counts of auto burglary.

Justice Court Judge Melvin Ray set bonds that total $65,000. Cole remained in custody Monday.

Judy said investigators have obtained arrest warrants for Byron Walker, 18, and Gerome White, 19.

Anyone who knows of their whereabouts is asked to call dispatchers at 897-1364 or the sheriff's criminal investigations division at 896-0678.

Or tipsters can call Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898, text CSTIP plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES) or give a tip online at mscoastcrimestoppers.

Other auto burglaries have been reported across the county, but these three aren't suspected in those incidents, he said.

"It's a good time to remind people to lock their vehicles," Judy said. "As it gets closer to Christmas, we can expect more of this to happen."

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Official: Arrest part of seasonal increase in auto burglaries ."