Couple facing charges in area storage unit thefts

A Columbus couple have been arrested, accused of stealing from area storage units.

According to the Columbus Police Department, the community Intelligence Led Policing Unit began noticing an increase in burglaries reported at storage units in July and August. Detectives with the Columbus police and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Departments began investigating and identified 29 year old Dustin Eakle of Columbus as a suspect.

On Thursday, detectives were surveilling Eakle and say that the caught him breaking into a storage unit on 15th Street. He was taken into custody and a search of his vehicle recovered other stolen items. A search warrant was served on his personal storage unit, which also found more stolen property. Police believe he was involved in at least eight different burglaries in Columbus and Bartholomew County.

They also identified his girlfriend, 30 year old Madison Poynter of Noblesville as an accomplice in some of the burglaries. She was taken into custody on Friday.

Both Eakle and Poynter are facing preliminary felony burglary charges.

The police and sheriff’s department have been working together to focus on repeat offenders in successful efforts to reduce crime in the community.