Items from homes, garages pawned

A Proctorville man was arrested Monday following a month-long investigation into a rash or burglaries in the Rome Township area.

Derek S. Childers, 31, of Township Road 1055, was arrested and charged with four counts of second-degree burglary and five counts of fifth-degree breaking and entering.

According to a statement from Sheriff Jeff Lawless on the department’s Facebook page, the burglary charges were a result of Childers’ allegedly breaking into homes, while the breaking and entering charges stem from the man allegedly breaking into garages or out buildings between Elm Street and Cranford Lane near the Lawrence County Fairgrounds.

Also, according to the statement, Childers allegedly confessed to the crimes to detectives, as well as pawning more than 80 items in various local pawnshops, which Lawless said would be returned to owners.

“I want to thank Detective Jason Newman on a job well done,” Lawless said in the statement. “There are many more victims of burglaries and thefts around this county and we continue to work these cases. If you have information about any crime, please call the sheriff’s office with your information. Crimes are solved when the public gets involved and provides information to law enforcement.”