A man who stole three vehicles, driving backwards in one of them to escape police,  was apprehended by DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department deputies and investigators last week. Edward Lee Judkins, Jr., 35, was arrested on July 10 and charged with a string of charges including three counts theft of property, three counts of burglary of an auto, one count of aggravated burglary, two counts of vandalism, resisting stop, frisk, halt and evading arrest. His bond totaled $67,500. He is set to appear in court July 23, 2020.

On June 9, Judkins entered and stole a 1998 Nissan Frontier Truck. It was valued at $1,000. On June 16, he entered and stole a 2006 GMC valued at $4,500.

Deputies responded on July 10 to a home on Old Blue Springs Road in reference to a possible stolen vehicle, a brown two-tone truck. They made contact with Judkins when arriving who was in possession of the truck. Judkins had damaged the steering column in order to get to the ignition of the truck. He jumped in the truck and slammed it into reverse in an effort to get away from the deputies. He continued in reverse hitting a maroon pickup at the residence and driving down a hedgerow of the property next door. When the truck stalled, Judkins jumped from the truck and ran. Later in the day he returned to this same residence. When deputies arrived, he was found trying to evade arrest by escaping through a front window of the residence, but he was apprehended.