MCALESTER, Okla. – Witnesses’ accounts assisted police in locating a suspect accused of stealing money intended for an underprivileged child.
McAlester police say they were called to the area of 432 S. George Nigh on March 19. Officers say witnesses noticed a “suspicious” man throwing items into a dumpster in the area and driving a white Pontiac.
The officer located a bank bag containing checks made out to the First Freewill Baptist Church as well as a broken glass jar with a child’s picture on it.
After investigating, McAlester police were able to discover that the jar of checks was intended to be donated to a child the church “adopted.” Officers also found the church’s surveillance video recorder.
Then officers discovered two office doors kicked in at the church as well as a closet door that had been pried open.
McAlester detectives were able to reconnect the spliced wires on the recorder and recover the video. After watching the tape, they were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Deraje Nathaniel Jackson.
Jackson was found driving a white Pontiac; detectives say he confessed to the burglary and was taken into custody. Jackson was booked into the Pittsburg County Jail for burglary II.
