Winona Police Believe to Have The Man Responsible for String of Burglaries

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI) – A string of burglaries in Winona could be over.

Police believe they have their thief.

This was an unusual case for Winona because having a string of burglaries in a town of that size doesn’t come around often.

Thanks to thorough investigation by Winona Police, they believe there is no doubt they have the right person behind bars.

For two months, multiple businesses in Winona were allegedly burglarized by 24-year old Robdasious Merritt.

“All in all, it was 10 total businesses, well 10 total charges, seven different businesses, including the schools,” said Chief Investigator for Winona PD, Dan Herod.

Herod said even though several of the businesses had surveillance cameras, they never caught a definite face.

“Different places, he would cover himself with a different type of clothing or something like that,” he said.

In the meantime, Herod and his team sifted through hours of footage, looking for other characteristics.

“We matched his eyebrows up, stuff like that,” Herod said.

In late August, Merritt allegedly attempted to rob Margaritas Mexican Restaurant but ran away when the alarms went off.

After looking through the footage, police realized their burglar made one critical mistake, no face coverage.

“I had a facial shot of him,” Herod said. “Plus, I matched all of the markings on his body. It all added up.”

“It makes me feel good,” said Margaritas restaurant employee, Kimberly Henson. “I’m glad they caught him.”

The efforts from police and cooperation with business owners helped employees and residents feel safer in Winona.

“It was a thorough investigation,” Herod said. “We were lucky enough to have business owners that were patient and cooperative with us.”

“It does make me feel safe,” Henson said. “This is a really safe place, good people. Good job Winona Police Department.”

Bond for Merritt has been set at $100,000.

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