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Brothers arrested in Chandler storage building burglary

Elkon Crutchfield

Two Henderson County men remain in custody in the Smith County jail as of Tuesday for the robbery/burglary of Pop's Storage on State Highway 31, in Chandler, Wednesday evening, May 2.

Lachance Crutchfield, 25, was charged with robbery in Henderson County, and his brother Elkon Crutchfield, 28, was charged with burglary.

Since their crimes crossed the Henderson/Smith County line, they were booked into the Smith County jail and face 17 charges there including speeding, theft, robbery and burglary.

Chandler Police Assistant Chief, James P. Lehman said around 5:00 p.m., he was dispatched to Pop's Storage for a burglary in progress.

Recent burglaries of local storage facilities had the owners on the alert, and Pop's co-owner Curtis Holan was conducting a walk-around of the storage buildings when he noticed two white males in Unit #45.

"He said it just didn't look right," Lehman said. "The lock on the unit had been cut."

The men told Holan they had lost their key, and identified themselves as Johnson. Holan knew the unit was rented under a different name and became suspicious, Lehman said.

Lachance Crutchfield

The two men, later identified as the Crutchfield brothers, ran to a red pickup truck pulling a white trailer and fled. Holan said he reached into the truck and grabbed the shirt of the passenger, Elkon Crutchfield, and was dragged several feet across the parking lot injuring his wrist, Lehman said.

Certain the men are responsible for the recent burglaries Holan said he jumped in his pick up truck and followed the truck and trailer as they fled east on Highway 31, toward Tyler, Lehman said.

Meanwhile, upon Lehman's arrival at Pop's Storage, he was met by an unidentified white male carrying a cell phone, who said his boss (Holan) was following a red pick up truck occupied by two white males, and a white female, on Loop 323, in Tyler.

Lehman seized the phone and advised Holan to hang up and call 911, to dispatch Tyler police.

While conducting an investigation of the storage facility, Lehman said he noticed the locks cut off on units 45 and 78.

At that time, a call from the Tyler police informed Lehman the suspects were in custody in the Home Depot parking lot, on Old Jacksonville Rd., he said.

Elkon Crutchfield falsely identified himself to Tyler police as Lee Floyd. However, arriving at Home Depot's parking lot, Lehman correctly identified both men.

"Looking in the car I noticed that the white male was Elkon Crutchfield, having dealt with him in the past," Lehman said. "Opening the back door I stated to Elkon, `what is your name,' and he stated, `Lehman, you know who I am.'"

Both Crutchfields were then transported by Tyler PD to the Smith County jail.

Lehman said besides the two brothers police also had the white female passenger, later identified as Cheri R. Washington, in custody.

Tyler PD informed Lehman the truck, and trailer containing stolen goods, were reportedly stolen, and a bolt cutter and several cut locks had been found in the bed of the truck.

Lehman secured and served arrest warrants on the Crutchfields at the Smith County jail for their crimes committed in Henderson County.

"Lachance was booked in on a robbery warrant due to the fact that he was the driver of the truck and intentionally dragged Mr. Holan across the parking lot causing bodily injury," Lehman said. "When a victim is injured during the course of a burglary, the charge is raised to robbery."

Robbery is a Felony/2 crime punishable by 5 to 20 years in the Texas Department of Corrections facility.

Elkon Crutchfield was charged with burglary of a building.

Burglary of a building is a state jail felony punishable by a maximum of two years in the state penitentiary.

Cheri Washington was not charged.

"We think we've got our storage building burglars now," Lehman said. "We're going to see if they are linked to any other burglaries. "

Once the Crutchfields face their charges in Smith County they will be extradited to Henderson County, Lehman said.