Two men indicted for burglary in Gilmanton

GILMANTON — A Belknap County grand jury has indicted two men for allegedly burglarizing an Allens Mill Road and stealing a number of items including four firearms.

Heath Wilkins, 33, formerly of Concord, faces one count of burglary and four counts of theft of a firearm.

Jeromy Woodey, 32, of Pearl Street in Laconia faces one count of burglary.

Police Chief Joe Collins said the two were literally caught red-handed by one of hisl officers who was on routine patrol around 11 p.m. on March 20 when he saw a pickup truck parked but still running on Allens Mill Road.

Collins said the officer walked around the pickup and saw four firearms and a compressor on the ground near the truck. He said he saw other items that had already been loaded into the pickup.

He said the home was occupied but there was no one home the night of the burglary.

The officer secured the firearms and walked around the garage and saw Woodey, whom he arrested at gunpoint. Once Woodey was in custody, Wilkins allegedly fled into the woods.

Collins said other officers from Gilmanton and Belmont, including a K-9, searched the woods for Wilkins but were unable to find him. Collins said he alerted nearby police departments.

He said he learned that Wilkins got a ride from Gilmanton to Laconia where he tried to go to Woodey's parent's home but was told by them to leave.

He said Wilkins was "freezing" so around 3 a.m. he went to the Laconia Police Station where he asked officers if he could sit in their lobby while he warmed himself. Laconia officers had already been notified by Gilmanton Police about Wilkins.

"Well of course they invited him in," said Collins, who said he went down later to pick up Wilkins for booking purposes.

Collins said the two were charged and held on cash bail originally, but have both been bailed since their arrest.

Both will be scheduled for arraignment in Belknap County Superior Court within the next few weeks.