The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department arrested a Nicholson man Wednesday morning after he allegedly broke into his sister’s home.
Deputies responded to 104A Jasmine Drive at about 5 a.m. Wednesday in reference to a residential burglary, Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said.
The homeowners told deputies they were asleep when the wife woke up after hearing an unusual noise. The wife said she saw a man wearing a white T-shirt exit the home through the front door. She then went to wake her husband, Tucker said.
The husband went to the door to see if he could spot the intruder but the door was momentarily blocked by a boat battery, Tucker said. The couple discovered that a purse and wallet were missing from the home, Tucker said.
As deputies investigated, they noticed the couple’s dogs would bark anytime the deputies moved, but the couple said the dogs did not bark during the intrusion. Deputies also noticed there were no signs of forced entry. The homeowners said there was only one key to the front door and discovered it was missing, Tucker said.
The wife told deputies her brother, Gary Wayne Lee, 29, was in possession of the key recently and had stolen from them in the past, Tucker said.
Deputies went next door where Lee lives with his mother and got consent to search the residence, Tucker said.
During the search, detectives found his sister’s wallet, containing her driver’s license, in Lee’s bedroom and the purse in a boat behind the residence, Tucker said.
An undetermined amount of cash was reported missing from the wallet. The key was never located.
Lee was arrested for residential burglary and booked into the Pearl River County jail, Tucker said.