Chipley Police Make Arrest in Recent Burglaries

Matt Boster

Viewed: 3767

Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Nov 06 2014 8:10 AM

On November 03 at approximately 9:15am a subject broke into Valencia’s Jewelry Store located on
Falling Waters Rd. The subject gained entry by kicking in the front door of the business. Once inside the
subject broke a glass jewelry case and left the store with a few pieces of jewelry.
Later that night at approximately 10:00pm a subject broke into the Chipley Gun and Pawn Store on Hwy.
90. The subject gained entry by driving a Nissan Altima through the front door causing extensive damage
to the store. The subject then left the store with 5 assault rifles and a few pieces of jewelry leaving
behind the car he used to ram the store’s door. The store’s video system showed the burglar completely
covered with gloves and mask over his head, but because of the video we were still able to determine
the suspect as a black male. We then determined the car that was used at the pawn shop had been
reported stolen in Harris County Georgia at approximately 7:00pm on November 03.
We immediately made contact with authorities in Harris County. We were advised the victim of the
stolen car said that the car was stolen while he was at a local convenience store in his county.
Investigators with Harris County were able to provide us with video from the convenience store in
Georgia of the suspect that stole the car. A patrol supervisor with the Chipley Police Department
identified the subject in the video from Georgia as Chipley resident Mitchell Terrell Brigham 28 years of
age.

At approximately 3:00pm on November 04 we were able to take Brigham into custody. Brigham
admitted to investigators with the Chipley Police Department of doing the burglary at Valencia’s, Chipley
Gun and Pawn and stealing the car in Georgia. Brigham said that he did the Valencia’s burglary first and
then traded the jewelry for crack cocaine. He said that he then rode to Harris County Georgia with two
friends. He said that once in Georgia he and his friends got into an argument and the friends put him out
of the car and left him in Georgia. He said that he stole the car to get back to Chipley. Once he got back
to Chipley he committed the pawn shop burglary, once again stating he traded the jewelry from the
pawn shop for crack cocaine. At approximately 6:00pm we recovered all 5 assault rifles stole from
Chipley Gun and Pawn.

Before we obtained the photo from Georgia the Chipley Police Department had already began receiving
phone calls from Chipley residents advising Brigham as our suspect in both Chipley burglaries.
I sincerely want to thank the ones that called us on this investigation. With Brigham’s admitted crack use
those guns would have remained local in our community. I personally spent several hours with Brigham
on this case and by his own admission he would not have stopped this crime spree until he was caught.
Again, I want to thank the members of this community for getting involved. As I’ve said in the past the
security and wellbeing of our community can’t lay solely on the Chipley Police Department, it takes
people such as you getting involved and helping a neighbor. As the Chief of Police for the Chipley,
Florida Police Department I have the best support staff around and that my friends is the people I serve
in this wonderful city.
I would also like to recognize that the officers assigned to this case logged about 20 straight hours until
the time Brigham was booked into the county jail where he was issued a $76,000.00 bond.
The Chipley Police Department was supported in this case by the ATF and FDLE.

Chipley Police Department
Kevin Crews, Chief
P.O. Box 1007
Chipley, Florida 32428
Office: 850-638-6310 fax: 850-638-6327B

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