DICKSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Residents of Dickson County are on high alert following a series of thefts reported over the weekend, leaving homeowners unsettled and questioning their safety. Among the affected areas is Eastside Drive in Burns, a typically quiet neighborhood where longtime resident Casey Clements says the community has always been peaceful.
Clements, who inherited the home from his parents, recalled that they had lived there for many years without ever experiencing any theft. “They never had anything stolen and they ran a landscaping company,” Clements said. But that peaceful atmosphere was disrupted late Saturday night and into Sunday morning when thieves targeted his property, stealing a pressure washer from his driveway.
“They crept up slow, parked in my neighbor’s driveway, and walked around the house,” Clements explained. Surveillance footage from his property captured the thief in the act, but despite the evidence, the stolen item remains missing.
Captain Jennifer Caruthers with the Dickson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that investigations are underway, not only for the stolen pressure washer but also for three nearby car break-ins. In one of the break-ins, a firearm was stolen, and in another, a wallet containing debit and credit cards was taken. It was through the use of the stolen card at a Nashville gas station that the victim discovered their vehicle had been burglarized. Investigators are working to gather surveillance footage from the gas station to track the suspect’s movements.
Caruthers noted that all of the burglarized vehicles were left unlocked, and emphasized the importance of locking doors and securing valuables. “If it’s tempting enough, they may break a window or jam open your door to get to what you have that they want,” she said.
For Clements, the theft has been a wake-up call. He has since taken extra precautions to monitor his property more closely. He also hopes that his pressure washer, which is marked with distinctive green spray paint, will be returned. “To have somebody just right outside who, obviously, isn’t worried about the law is kind of unsettling,” he remarked.
Local authorities believe there may be more victims in the area who have yet to report similar incidents. The Dickson County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information about these thefts or those who suspect they may have been affected to come forward.
“If they had been a little more careless, it could’ve been a whole different story,” Clements said, reflecting on how lucky he and his neighbors were not to be disturbed during the break-ins.
As the investigation continues, residents in Dickson County remain on edge, hoping for justice and for the thieves responsible to be caught before they strike again.
