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Last updated on Tuesday, December 20, 2016
(NORTH VERNON) - Two Jennings County residents were arrested in connection with the theft of firearms, a chainsaw and money from a home south of North Vernon.
Jenning County Sheriff deputies arrested 35-year-old Billy J. Ellis and 30-year-old Stacy A. Lucas, both of Commiskey on Level 4 felony charges of burglary, Level 5 felony charges of theft and Level 6 felony charges of trespassing. Ellis also faces a Level 6 felony charge of criminal mischief. Both are being held on $2,605 bonds at the Jennings County Jail.
According to a press release, the two were involved in the burglary of a home on Dec. 12 in Lovett Township.
The two were arrested during a felony traffic stop on I-65 near Scottsburg. Property from the burglary was recovered in the Ford pickup Ellis was driving at the time of the traffic stop.
According to the press release more stolen property, including a motorcycle taken from Jackson County, was found during a search of Ellis' home in Montgomery Township in Jennings County and in a motel room in Scottsburg where the two had been staying.
Police reported finding more stolen property in a motel room in Scottsburg, where the pair had been staying.
Police came into contact with the pair after they stopped them after a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area of Lovett Township. The two told the officer there were in the process of moving. With no proof the two had done anything wrong the officer let them leave. The officer then went to the home where the vehicle had come from and no one answered the door. The officer contacted the owner and discovered the home had been burglarized.
During a subsequent search of the home, the 75-year-old male owner of the home found six six firearms including a Winchester Model 97 shotgun, a chainsaw, a porcelain jug containing pennies, a luggage bag, several rolls of quarters, silver dollars and cash were missing.
The man told police his father had given him the Winchester Model 97 shotgun with the understanding he would never sell the gun but pass it on to his son, and that made it was priceless to him.
After taking the report, the officer remembered seeing a chainsaw in the back of the truck he had stopped. The officer then began looking for the truck and those he had stopped.
The Sheriff's Department published information about this burglary on the Jennings County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. The Sheriff's Office also communicated with surrounding agencies for any help with the case.
On Wednesday, police received information on where the two were staying in Scott County.
With help from the community, Scott County Sheriff's Office, police departments at Crothersville, Scottsburg and Seymour, Indiana State Police and the FBI, nearly all of the stolen property was recovered.
One item that has not been recovered is a Model 036 Stihl chainsaw. Anyone with information regarding the chainsaw can contact the Jennings County Sheriff's Office at (812) 346-5111.
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