Managing Editor

Nov. 29, 1999 11 PM

Things aren’t looking up for Christopher Ray Bachelor, 17, of Lot 27 Royal Oak Trailer Park, Troy, who stands accused of robbing an area business at gunpoint.

Bachelor stands accused of armed robbery for a Dec. 23 incident at the Wagon Wheel store on Shellhorn Road. The Pike County Sheriff’s Department has added the charge of first-degree burglary for stealing a computer and other items from the home of Janet Register in the Mt. Moriah community and of a home in the China Grove community. Bond for Bachelor has been set at $10,000, in each of the two cases, which has been set in addition to the $100,000 bond set for the armed robbery. He is currently in the Pike County jail.

Also charged in the Mt. Moriah and China Grove burglaries are William Ray Oliver, 16, of 512 E. Madison Street, Troy, and Davonne Martrel Lewis, 26, of the same address. Oliver is charged with first-degree burglary and is being held on a $10,000 bond in each of the two cases, and Lewis is charged with receiving stolen property and is being held on a $10,000 bond in both cases as well.

"We are pleased to be able to say that we have solved these cases, as well as others with these recent arrests," said Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas. "This puts several of the cases we are working on to rest."

According to Thomas, Oliver and Bachelor kicked in the door of Register’s home on Dec. 1 between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Once inside, the two juveniles took a TV, a VCR, a computer, a monitor, a piggy bank filled with silver dollars and a 30-30 rifle. The theft of the weapons from a residence increases charges under Alabama law from third-degree burglary to first-degree burglary, which means the two juveniles can be tried as adults for committing a Class A felony.

The second burglary occurred on Dec. 23 at Route 1, Box 504 B, Troy, which is in the China Grove area. Taken from the residence were a .22 caliber revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun, several Zippo lighters and other items that have not yet been recovered.

The burglary of the residence in China Grove occurred the same morning an armed gunman stormed into the Wagon Wheel armed with a .22 caliber revolver and demanded money. The pistol was discharged during the incident when the suspect shot the telephone the clerk was using to call law enforcement.

According to Thomas, Bachelor and Oliver participated in the burglary of both homes, but Bachelor acted alone when he allegedly held up the clerk at the Wagon Wheel.

Thomas believes that once the crimes were committed, several of the items that were taken were routed through Lewis who sold some of the items to acquaintances in Montgomery.

The arrests bring three cases to a close, and Thomas feels that further investigation could unravel more loose ends.

Juveniles were also arrested for two other burglaries in the Orion area.

A residence at Rt. 3, Box 204, Troy was burglarized on Dec. 15. The perpetrators took a television, a microwave and an electronic piano-keyboard that were recovered in addition to other items.

Another December burglary that occurred at the Southern Comfort Hunting Club has been solved with the arrests of the two juveniles. A television, a VCR, hunting knives and an AM/FM/Cassette player that were taken in the burglary have been recovered, Thomas said.

The names of the juveniles could not be released because they stand accused of third-degree burglary in the cases, which prevents them from being charged as adults.

"We will continue our investigations into these and other crimes with the help of the Troy Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and the Montgomery Police Department," Thomas said. "We appreciate the cooperation we have gotten in bringing charges against these individuals. I also appreciate the work of those in the department who put in a lot of hours to solve these cases."