A woman and her stepson were arrested after being found in a bloody car surrounded by items stolen from more than two dozen vehicles Sunday, Canton police said.
The discovery was made in the parking lot of a Walmart on Riverstone Parkway around 2 p.m., more than six hours after officers received the first reports of vehicle break-ins in three different Canton neighborhoods. Brianna Rogers and her stepson, described only as a juvenile, were unconscious, according to police.
Around 8 that morning, at least 26 vehicles were entered, either by force or because they were left unlocked. Most of the reports came from the Cherokee Overlook subdivision and the Laurels of Greenwood Apartments, which are just south of I-575, and one break-in happened at the Park Village subdivision, which is about 9 miles north.
Detectives said they located blood inside several of the vehicles and collected samples of it for evidence. A witness was able to tell authorities that a red vehicle left the area after he was awakened by the sound of a car alarm.
A 911 call at about 2 p.m. alerted officers of a “suspicious situation” at the Walmart, where Rogers and her stepson were passed out in a red vehicle. They were detained after officers said they observed blood inside the vehicle and numerous stolen items in plain view.
The stepson was in possession of a stolen firearm at the time of his arrest, police added.
Canton police detectives responded to the scene and interviewed both suspects. A search warrant for the vehicle was also obtained, and police said the numerous stolen items matched those taken during the earlier break-ins.
Rogers received medical attention on scene for a small cut on her hand before she was arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Jail. She is facing charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and 26 counts of entering auto. Her stepson is facing charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and 26 counts of entering auto. The Department of Juvenile Justice released him to his biological mother.
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Rogers became a felon in October 2018 after being found guilty of possession of methamphetamine in Spalding County. She received a two-year prison sentence and served her time at the Whitworth Women’s Facility in Hart County.
Police said additional charges are pending in Sunday’s incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact officials at 770-720-4883.
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