Detective: Burglary ring targeted 18 Columbus businesses

Columbus police have charged multiple people allegedly tied to a burglary ring that has targeted approximately 18 businesses.

Horatio Lamont Venable, 20, and Christian Clay, 19, appeared in Columbus Recorder’s Court on Thursday to face charges related to the incidents.

Officials have also apprehended a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old boy in connection with the string of burglaries. More arrests are expected, though police declined to provide more details pending further investigation.

Detective Jack Wills said he was called to the Majik Market at 4509 Reese Road after two individuals burglarized the business on Feb. 17.

The store manager, who had saw surveillance video of the incident, told police the following day that he recognized the white male suspect seen on camera as an individual nicknamed “Ant” who lived at Gentian Oaks apartment complex near the business.

Wills said he was speaking with the employee when he learned that fingerprints lifted from the cash register inside the store belonged to Clay.

Police positively identified Anthony James Thrower as the man the manager referred to as “Ant.” He was taken into custody Feb. 19 and interviewed.

“He stated he was the person on the video and that he was the one that was standing outside of the store,” Wills testified. “He said his friend Christian Clay was the one who ran inside the store.”

Charged in the burglary that same day, Thrower pleaded not guilty in Columbus Recorder’s Court to burglary charges. Arrest warrants were then issued for Clay.

On Sunday, police received a call about another business burglary at Zeb’s Seafood & Chicken at 5120 Warm Springs Road. Surveillance footage of the incident showed two individuals stealing cash from a safe inside the restaurant, one of whom officials identified as Clay.

Tuesday morning, police were called to a burglary at the Best Pawn Shop at 4315 Holly Ave. that eventually led them to apprehend Clay, one of many possible linked to a series of about 18 related burglaries in Columbus.

Police have yet to clarify whether Thrower was involved in that string of incidents.

Around 7:45 a.m. that day, officials apprehend an underage boy at pawn shop who said he and another juvenile stole eight stolen shotguns from the establishment and one from a local Pleasure World business.

The boy also confessed to storing the stolen guns at a man’s house in the 3600 block of Fourth Avenue, police testified.

Police went to the location later that day and spoke to the resident, who gave them permission to search his home. Inside the residence, officials located Horatio Lamont Venable, three of the eight stolen shotguns and a gold Hoverboard that “seemed out of place at the time,” police testified.

Prior to the search, detectives had linked Venable to a May 12 burglary at the Crazy Cecil’s Party Shop at 3217 River Road in which lottery tickets were stolen. Further investigation led police to believe he was also involved in the pawn shop burglary.

Authorities were attempting to take Venable into custody when he ran from the scene. He was arrested after a short foot pursuit.

Police said they didn’t charge the Fourth Avenue resident, because they don’t believe he was involved. He told police that Christian Clay and another individual placed the weapons in his home while he was at work.

The underage suspect led police to Clay’s residence, where officials allegedly found more of the stolen weapons, some lottery tickets and a large sum of money.

Police said Clay, Venable and the two juveniles made a statements during an interview with detectives that implicated them in multiple burglaries, including the one at the pawn shop.

Authorities said Clay admitted to committing the theft at Zeb’s Seafood & Chicken with another individual who is still on the loose.

Clay told the court that his alleged accomplice in the restaurant burglary “insisted” that he do it. He said the individual was armed at the time.

Venable pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree burglary. Clay pleaded not guilty to two of his four counts of second-degree burglary but guilty to the other two counts.

Authorities said additional charges may be issued following further investigation.

Judge Michael Cielinski ordered the co-defendants held in the Muscogee County Jail, granting them $10,000 bond on each of their charges. The case was bound over to Superior Court.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Detective: Burglary ring targeted 18 Columbus businesses."