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Franklin man jailed after resident calls in burglary

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) – Police in Columbus arrested a man early Friday morning after an alert resident called officers about someone trying to break into his shed.

Around 2 a.m., a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputy and a K9 officer responded to the area of 8900 North and 300 West in Columbus.

The homeowner told police he was watching a man breaking into a storage shed on his property.

Officers arrived and found the man, identified as 39-year-old Richard Ellington, of Franklin, lying in a wooded area behind the shed.

During a pat down, police say Ellington told them he had a syringe in his pocket and that he had used it earlier in the night to inject methamphetamine. A capped syringe and a crescent wrench were removed from his pocket. Police say they also noticed a strong odor of alcohol on him.

According to officials, the homeowner identified Ellington as the man he saw breaking into his shed. Police also say while they were checking the wooded area, they found a flashlight and a pair of bolt cutters.

Ellington was taken to the Bartholomew County Jail and preliminarily charged with burglary, possession of a syringe and possession of marijuana.