ROGERSVILLE — A Rogersville man allegedly got away with several items including six lunches belonging to employees of the Hawkins County Memorial Hospital during two auto burglaries Wednesday, but was arrested before having a chance to eat them.
At 12:44 a.m. Wednesday, RPD Officer Patrick Johnson was dispatched to the HCMH after an employee reportedly witnessed a man driving a Toyota van looking in vehicles parked at the hospital parking lot.
The witness said the suspect then left in the van heading east on Broadway Street.
Johnson stated in his report he was patrolling that area around 1:05 a.m. Wednesday when he observed a Toyota van traveling east at a high rate of speed.
Johnson said that as he stopped the vehicle on Outer Drive he observed the driver reaching behind the seat.
The driver was identified as Greg Wayne Leake, 26, 720 Outer Drive, Rogersville.
Johnson said there were several items in Leake’s van including a lunch bag with a name written on it of a woman Johnson knew to be an employee of the hospital.
Two hospital employees subsequently identified items from Leake’s van which had allegedly been stolen from their vehicles.
RPD Chief Doug Nelson said the items stolen from one vehicle included six lunch bags, two candles, a Walters State hoodie, three CDs, a remote to a residential alarm and a sandwich baggie full of coins.
Items stolen from the other vehicle included a Sirius satellite radio, a variety of personal items, and the owner’s manual for a 2005 Jeep.
“He’d gone through their ash trays and glove compartments, and even got their lipstick and personal items, and had them in his pockets,” Nelson said. “When they checked his pockets he had tubes of lipstick, sunglasses, change he stole out of a vehicle, and a charging cord for a cell phone.”
Nelson said there were other items in the van which are believed to have been stolen including several power tools and hand tools.
“These tools haven’t been reported stolen yet, but I have a feeling the owner just doesn’t know they’re gone yet,” Nelson said. “We’ve got them here at the police station, so hopefully someone will see this in the newspaper and be able to identify their property.”
Leake was charged with two counts of auto burglary and two counts of theft under $500.
As of Thursday he remained held in the Hawkins County Jail on $25,000 bond. His arraignment is set for Oct. 22.
Anyone who believes the stolen power tools and hand tools may belong to them can call the RPD at (423) 272-7555.