Truck stolen in Warren County found in Jackson

Published 7:25 am Saturday, October 2, 2021

A dual-wheel Dodge pickup truck reported stolen on Sept. 23 from a convenience store on U.S. 61 North has been recovered in Jackson, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said Friday.

He said the truck was found in a vacant lot and had been stripped. He said the sheriff’s office is working with other law enforcement agencies to recover the stolen parts.

Four people have been charged in the theft: Brad Welch, 40, and Jessica Welch, 32, both of Pearl; and Samantha Barrett, 37 of Pearl, and James Wilson, 41 of Florence.

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The Welches are each charged with motor vehicle theft and possession of a controlled substance and remain in the Warren County Jail in lieu of $35,000 bond each. Barrett and Wilson are each charged with accessory after the fact of motor vehicle theft and remain in jail in lieu of $5,000 bond each.

According to sheriff’s office reports, deputies received a call about 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 23 that a 2007 Dodge “dually” truck was stolen from the parking lot of a convenience store in the 1400 block of Highway 61 North.

When deputies arrived, the truck’s owner said he’d left the vehicle unlocked and parked at the fuel pumps with keys in the ignition. While he was in the store making a purchase, he looked up and saw his truck was leaving the parking lot.

After reviewing the security video footage, investigators were able to identify the black GMC SUV vehicle in which the thieves arrived and located it the following day at a business in Flowers.

Deputies arrived in Flowers and recognized the Welches as the people who stole the Dodge truck. During a search after the arrest, deputies found Brad Welch had .80 ounces of methamphetamine and a small glass vial of Fentanyl.

Jessica Welch had a loaded syringe in her purse, filled with what was later identified as methamphetamine.

According to sheriff’s office reports, the couple had been staying at the Motel 6 in Vicksburg where deputies found Barrett and Wilson when they went to search Welches’ hotel room.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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