Former Top Cop’s Car Stolen From Funeral Home
Of all the places to steal a car from, of all the people to victimize, 47-year-old Lucien Howard Cato chose to take former Police Chief Harold Jennings’ Toyota Camry from a funeral home parking lot during the visitation for another former police chief, Mike Bridges, on Saturday evening.
The stupidity (and classlessness) of this crime is so mind boggling that it’s no surprise the thief was allegedly under the influence.
A police officer assigned to security detail at the visitation said he watched Cato drive the car out of the parking lot of the Thomas McAffee Funeral Home on North Main Street, according to a police incident report. The officer thought Cato was acting suspicious and driving erratic, so he followed the vehicle. A short time later, the car crashed into the light pole.
After the crash, police confirmed that a purse belonging to the wife of former Greenville Police Chief Harold Jennings was stolen from the funeral home. The keys to the Camry were inside the stolen purse, the report said.
Cato was injured in the wreck and taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where he was treated.
Cato has been charged with third-degree burglary, grand larceny, driving under the influence, driving under suspension, driving without a license, and driving too fast for conditions. He is being held at the Greenville County Detention Center in the psychological services unit.
Timothy White Arrested for Greenville Auto Break-Ins
A homeowner in the North Main area observed an auto break-in in progress Sunday morning and quickly called 911, leading to the arrest of Timothy White.
The homeowner saw someone inside of his vehicle that was parked near his McDonald Street home early Sunday morning. The homeowner called police, and officers located 26-year-old Timothy Antwan White. The officers said that White had items that were stolen from the vehicle on McDonald Street and another vehicle parked near a home on Mohawk Drive.
Other auto break-ins were reported in the North Main area, but nothing was taken in several of those cases.
White was charged with two counts of autobreaking. He is being held at Greenville County Detention Center.
White has other theft and larceny charges pending from a July arrest.