A Ridgeland man was hospitalized this morning after he wrapped his truck around a tree Wednesday afternoon on Wright Road.

At about 1:30 p.m., Chris Dennis, 35, of Ridgeland, drove his westbound 1994 Ford truck off the Southside of Wright Road near Hankinson Road and struck a tree, Sheriff Martin pace said.

First responders from Vicksburg and LeTourneau fire departments worked for approximately 30 minutes to free Dennis from the vehicle, Pace said.

Dennis was taken to Vicksburg Municipal Airport where he was transported by helicopter to University of Mississippi Medical Center, Pace said.

Dennis was in serious condition this morning at UMMC, hospital spokesman Bruce Coleman said.

 

Trucker’s body found at rest area

An Iowa truck driver was found dead Wednesday night near the eastbound rest area between Vicksburg and Bovina.

At 7:17 p.m., a man walking on one of the trails near the rest area reported he found a man’s body lying beside one of the trials, Sheriff Martin Pace said.

The body was identified as John Robert Gruber, 56, of Ottumwa, Iowa, Deputy Coroner Kelda Bailess said this morning.

Gruber appeared to have been dead for several hours, Pace said.

“It appears that he was a truck driver. The vehicle we think he came from was in the rest area and it has been secured at a local towing company,” Pace said.

Because the rest area is a state facility, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Mississippi Bureau of Investigations were notified of the death, Pace said.

Gruber’s body was taken to the Mississippi State Crime Lab where an autopsy is set for today, Bailess said.

 

Second suspect charged in string of burglaries

A second suspect accused of a string of auto burglaries in southern Warren County was in the jail this morning.

Cody Breland, 29, 278 Whatley Road, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with auto burglary, Sheriff Martin Pace said.

Breland and David Stewart, 20, 1171 Burnthouse Road, are accused of nine auto burglaries in the southern part of the county, Pace said.

Stewart was arrested Aug. 29.

“We continued that investigation and as the investigation has continued we identified another adult and a juvenile who were involved,” Pace said.

The juvenile was in the Warren County Youth Detention Center this morning, Pace said.

The three are accused of breaking into two vehicles in 100 block of Botina Drive, and vehicles in the 400 and 500 blocks of Goodrum Road, the 6000 block of Castle Road, the

300 block of Gibson Road, the 4000 block of Tiffintown Road, the 100 block of Allen Place, and the 2000 block of Dogwood Road, Warren County Lt. Randy Lewis said.

“We have recovered numerous items that were stolen, but thus far, all items recovered have been identified and the owner of the property has been notified,” Pace said.

Breland was held without bail this morning in the Warren County Jail.

“We are not ruling out the possibility of additional charges,” Pace said.

 

Jury convicts man of stealing television from Walmart

A Vicksburg man was convicted of stealing a television from Walmart following a two-day trial in circuit court.

Jurors convicted Phoenix Givens, 39, who has been in the Warren County Jail since June 7, 2013, on Tuesday of felony shoplifting, Assistant District Attorney Bert Carraway said.

Circuit Judge M. James Chaney set sentencing for 9 a.m. Sept. 19.

Givens was caught on tape attempting to steal two televisions from Walmart at 6 a.m. Feb. 14, Carraway said.

A manager confronted Givens as he was attempting to leave the store with two televisions in a shopping cart, and Givens overturned the car and fled out the door with one of the TVs.

Givens was in the Warren County Jail this morning awaiting sentencing.