Burglary: Cops Arrest Two After No Confession

Two Chattooga County residents blame each other for a burglary and theft of items from a Summerville home Wednesday.

Carry Meranda Trapp, 22, and 32-year-old Matthew Arthur Riggs both deny burglarizing a residence at 554 Bellah Avenue.

“She said he broke into the residence and he said it was her,” Summerville Police Detective Ty Hutchin said.

Trapp and Riggs are accused of breaking into the residence of Kay and Ricky Bryant at 554 Bellah Avenue. Clothes, medication and a black electronic computer tablet were taken, according to a police report.

A neighbor unknowingly witnessed the burglary around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. He saw Trapp and Riggs pulled into the Bryants’ driveway in a silver four-door car. Both got out and went toward the house. The neighbor later noticed Riggs carrying something from the house.

When Ms. Bryant arrived around 2:40 p.m., she noticed her kitchen window open.

“Ms. Bryant advised that she then noticed her brother’s medication was missing along with a black computer tablet that was plugged up to a charger. Ms. Bryant stated the tablet was lying on the kitchen counter. Ms. Bryant stated her brother, who is Ricky Bryant, had been staying at the residence due to his medical conditions and needed to have supervision. Ms. Bryant provided a list of the medications that were stolen,” Det. Hutchins said.

The neighbor told Ms. Bryant about the suspicious vehicle. After some discussion, Trapp was identified as the person who came to the house.

“I am familiar with Carry Trapp due to previous encounters in the past and had knowledge that she resided at 206 Curran Street,” Det. Hutchins said.

When the detective and Officer Brock Campbell pulled up, a silver car was sitting in the driveway and a man was standing beside it. Noticing the patrol car pulling up, the man began walking away.

“I exited the patrol unit and advised the male to stop. The male stated, ‘I don’t live here’. I again asked the white male to stop and he disobeyed this order and fled inside the residence,” Det. Hutchins said.

Cops surrounded the residence to keep the man and others from fleeing. Det. Hutchins then went inside to find the fleeing man.

“I went to the first bedroom that I knew from prior encounters being Trapp’s bedroom and tried to open the door but it was locked. I advised the occupants of the room to open the door. I could hear the occupants of room running around inside the room. I asked again for them to unlock the door,” Det. Hutchins said.

Trapp and Riggs finally opened the door. As Riggs was being arrested for fleeing, officers located some of the stolen items from the Bryant house.

“Trapp advised me that she got a text from her cousin (Jeff Bridges) and during the conversation he had stated that he was out of town. Carry Trapp stated that she shared this information with Matthew Riggs. Trapp advised that it was Riggs idea to go to the residence. She stated that she waited in the car while Riggs used a “brick” to climb in the rear kitchen window. Trapp stated that she was unsure of what all he took but knew about the tablet,” Det. Hutchins said.

That is not the story Riggs told. He said the culprit is Trapp.

“Riggs stated that Trapp needed a ride to her cousin’s house which was on Bellah Avenue to pick up some items. Riggs stated that Trapp came out of the residence with a brown leather bag,” Hutchins reported. “Riggs stated he had no knowledge that she was taking the brown bag without permission. Riggs stated that Trapp told him that her cousin gave her permission to take the property from the Bellah Avenue address.”

Both were charged with first-degree burglary, unauthorized distribution of a controlled substance and possession of Alprazolam. Riggs was also charged with willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer.