By Billy Davis

An automobile that was reported stolen in Batesville Saturday morning had been towed from a traffic stop in Sardis hours earlier.

The blue Cadillac Deville had been parked at Highway 51 and Turner Street, where it was awaiting repairs, according to the police report filed by Batesville police Sgt. Scott Cagle.

The victim had parked the automobile Friday night and noticed it missing Saturday at approximately 6:30 that morning.

The key had been left in the ignition but the battery had been removed, the victim told police.

When the automobile was entered on NCIC, the National Crime Information Center, Batesville police got a hot: Sardis police had run the vehicle identification number at 1:48 Saturday morning.

A call to Sardis police showed the vehicle had been towed from the scene after the traffic stop.

The police report included the name of the driver, but the name was redacted in the copy of the report given to The Panolian.

In other weekend crime news, a debit card stolen from a truck was used to attempt to purchase a television from Sears.

The card was also used at a restaurant for $6.38, according to a Batesville police report filed by Cagle.

Cagle’s report states that the victim reported the stolen items Saturday afternoon, when he noticed the debit card and $140 in cash were missing from his wallet. The name of the victim was redacted in the report.

The truck, a Ford F-150, had been parked at South Panola High School that morning. The victim returned about 2 p.m., not noticing the theft until he drove to Sonic.

The truck’s doors were not locked, according to the report.

The unsuccessful purchase at Sears would have totaled $538 but the card was declined. A second card was also used but was also declined, the report states.

The Sears employee described the would-be TV purchaser as a black male in his 40s who was wearing blue jeans and a khaki, long-sleeve shirt.

In still other crime news, Batesville police filed two reports of theft at the Jesus Loves Me Too Daycare.

Lt. Ruby Myers file at report at 12:45 p.m. that pills had been stolen from a purse at the daycare. She was back at the facility at 4:37, when an employee reported her purse had been stolen.

The purse, black and white in color, had been located in the playroom area. It contained a driver’s license, car keys, and a student I.D.