Officer: Suspect specialized in TVs

THOMASVILLE — Self-confidence might have been the secret to a Thomasville man’s ability to steal televisions from four area Wal-Marts, an investigator opined.

Najor Richardson, 41, West Calhoun Street, is in the Grady County Jail charged with the theft of televisions from the Cairo Wal-Mart. Moultrie and Bainbridge have holds on Richardson for similar thefts at Wal-Marts in those cities.

Cairo police received a call early this week from Moultrie police about the ownership of a pickup truck used in Moultrie during the theft of televisions from Wal-Mart, said Keith Sandefur Jr., Cairo police chief.

The truck had been sold through a Cairo car lot to Richardson.

Later the same day, Cairo police were contacted by the Cairo Wal-Mart about a television theft there.

Someone stole 27- and 32-inch televisions from the store in separate incidents, said Lt. Wandell Asbell, Cairo police investigator.

“Both times, he was driving a black Chevrolet Z-71 pickup truck,” Asbell explained.

Meanwhile, the Thomasville Wal-Mart began to experience the same type of thefts, Asbell said.

It was learned Richardson was working in Cairo as a painter and living in Thomasville.

“He was painting in the Azalea Park neighborhood,” Asbell said.

Scott Newberry, a Thomasville police detective, learned two televisions — “new in-the-box televisions” — had been pawned by Richardson at a Thomasville pawn shop, Asbell explained.

The investigator said that on Tuesday, a television was taken at the Bainbridge Wal-Mart, and an alert was issued.

A Grady County Sheriff’s Office investigator saw the Z-71 traveling east on U.S. 84 west of Whigham.

“He stopped him on Piney Grove Road,” Asbell said.

Lawmen found two Philips flat-screen televisions in the bed of the truck.

Security video from the Bainbridge store shows Richardson walked confidently into the business and exited equally as confident with televisions in tow.



Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.