Candy wrappers lead police right to thieves

A band of thieves was busted in Georgia after police followed a trail of candy wrappers from a crime scene left behind by one or more hungry, litterbug members of the crew.

The nine sweet-toothed bandits are accused of burglarizing multiple homes and vehicles between Oct. 4 and 7 in Coweta County — about 30 miles outside of Atlanta, police told The Newman Times-Herald.

According to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, the group would trek through the woods to get to the homes and cars they targeted for burglaries.

They broke into at least two homes and five vehicles and made off with weapons, cash, tools and food that they would then bring back to the woods and stash beneath piles of leaves.

One of the items they stole was a bag of miniature Milky Way candy bars, police said.

Investigators from the Heard County Sheriff’s Office followed a trail of the discarded wrappers they found in the woods, which led them directly to the home of one of the sticky-fingered suspects.

At the residence, police recovered a stolen firearm and contacted the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office who connected the suspect to the burglary ring, according to the Times-Herald.

CCSO arrested Kevin Atkins, Gerald Bennett, Amber Brooks, Alan Caswell, Brooke Fields, Tracy Hendrix, and Ryan Murrow and one unidentified juvenile. Another man, Marvin Rachalla, was arrested by Heard County authorities.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible.

The suspects were handed various charges including burglary and drug possession including for possession of marijuana.