A resident called 911 Tuesday morning after seeing a man attempt to remove a window air-conditioner unit from a Benton home. At approximately 8 a.m. Tuesday, August 22, 2017, Benton Police officers responded to the call on Dalewood Drive, but the suspect had fled the area.
Officers later found the suspect, identified as Brandon D. Lea, age 30, of Benton, in the area. BNPD detectives determined Lea was also responsible for a burglary at a home on Hester Street on August 17, 2017. The investigation led to the recovery of stolen property from the August 17 burglary report, which was returned to the victim on Hester Street.
Lea was transported to the Saline County Detention Center. He faces charges of Residential Burglary, class B felony, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Residential Burglary, class C felony. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about the suspect or information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS. Individuals also may send an anonymous crime tip about this incident to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to leave a tip. A crime tip can also be submitted via the official Benton Police Department app found on iTunes and Google Play.
Any suspects listed are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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