STATESBORO, Ga. — A man released from prison just one day earlier is back behind bars after police say he stole a BB gun from a Walmart display case and used it to threaten a mother and her child inside the store.
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The incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon at the Walmart on Northside Drive East in Statesboro.
According to the Statesboro police, Bulloch County 911 received multiple calls around 12:47 p.m. reporting a man inside the store with what appeared to be a gun.
Officers arrived within two minutes and found Walmart staff had already isolated the suspect in the Garden Center area. He was then taken into custody, and the store was temporarily closed while police secured the scene.
Detectives say the suspect entered the store, grabbed a tool, and used it to break into a locked glass display case. He then removed a BB gun and walked through the store.
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Police say he approached a female shopper and her child and threatened them with the weapon.
Witnesses and employees later confirmed the gun was a BB gun, not a real firearm. The mother and child, who did not know the suspect, were able to get away safely and were not physically harmed.
Police identified the suspect as Nathaniel Anthony Jones, 40, formerly of Portal, Ga.
Investigators say Jones had just been released from the Georgia Department of Corrections on Feb. 9 after serving time for burglary, one day before the Walmart incident.
Following an interview with detectives, Jones was booked into the Bulloch County Jail on the following charges:
- Aggravated Assault
- Burglary in the 2nd Degree
He remains in custody with a hold placed on his release.
Statesboro police say the investigation is still active. Anyone with additional information or video footage from inside the store is asked to contact Senior Detective Cross at 912-764-9911.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the department’s website at statesboropd.com by clicking the “Submit a Tip” link.
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