Man Steals Gun, Hides It In Dumpster: Cops

CARTERSVILLE, GA — A Cartersville man was arrested Tuesday evening for allegedly taking a firearm from a vehicle and hiding it in a nearby dumpster, according to a Bartow County Sheriff's Office incident report.

A deputy with the agency was dispatched around 11:15 p.m. Sept. 25 to a home on Carriage Hills Drive to a dispute. Dispatchers initially said gunshots were heard coming from the home, but the deputy arrived at the scene to find the home empty.

Once he entered and cleared the home, the deputy met with the 33-year-old resident, who said a man, later identified as Robert Lamar Smith III, 35, stolen a firearm from his unlocked vehicle. According to the incident report, Smith told the resident "that he hid it in the dumpster" on Ann Circle, so the complainant went to retrieve the Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol.

The complainant checked the firearm and noticed five rounds were missing from the magazine. A walk-through of the home did not lead to the discovery of any bullet holes, the report adds.

The deputy reached Smith by phone, and the accused said he took the firearm and placed it in the dumpster because "at the end of the day, he [the complainant] does not need a gun," the report indicates.

Smith was found walking on Center Road, and arrested and charged with entering auto and two counts of probation violation. He remains held at the Bartow County Jail without bond.

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