Henry Daily Herald

Photo by Hugh Osteen

By Jason A. Smith

jsmith@henryherald.com

A Clayton County man and woman are believed to have stolen electronics items and prescription medications from a McDonough home, days after being evicted by the alleged victim.

The medication, which was reportedly taken, belonged to the victim's elderly mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

Cameron Blake McClure, 26, and Brandy Mae Rittenbury, 21, both of Jonesboro, appeared in Magistrate Court Monday, represented by the Public Defender's Office. Judge Donnie Patten set their bonds at $25,000 each.

The incident reportedly occurred Sunday, at a home on Wynn Road in McDonough. The alleged victim, Juanita Parrish, said she left her home around 1:30 p.m., to pay a phone bill with her two daughters, leaving her elderly mother, Frances McAlister, at the residence alone.

"When we came back, we noticed that the front door was open, and my daughter's laptop computer was on the couch," said Parrish. "She went into her bedroom, and couldn't find her digital camera."

Parrish added that her daughter, Kendall Bratcher, was also missing a BlackBerry cell phone, and Bratcher's boyfriend's Metro Touch Screen Caliber phone was also missing.

The burglary victim said medication belonging to McAlister, an Alzheimer's patient, was taken during the break-in. The medication included hydrocodone, Xanax, Soma and oxycodone, according to Parrish.

McClure and Rittenbury, until recently, had been staying at Parrish's home, the victim said. "They were sleeping on the street, in their car," Parrish said. "I felt sorry for them, and I trusted them."

The pair was kicked out Wednesday, after allegedly stealing from Parrish in a separate incident, said the victim.

Parrish said that after the alleged burglary occurred, she suspected McClure was involved.

An arrest warrant for McClure, obtained by Henry County Police Officer Tony Bryan, states that McClure committed the crime by "entering the home without permission and removing a digital camera, two cell phones and prescription medications."

A separate arrest warrant, for Rittenbury, states that she participated in the theft.

"[Rittenbury] drove the co-defendant to the home of Juanita Parrish, with the intent of allowing the co-defendant to burglarize said residence."

McClure and Rittenbury are each charged with one count of burglary. Records from the Henry County Jail list the same address in Jonesboro for both suspects.

A police department spokesman could not be reached for additional details on the case.

Public Defender Gary Bowman was also unavailable for comment. Judge Patten reset McClure's and Rittenbury's preliminary hearings for Feb. 7.