Charges Filed in Burglary Theft of WWII Memorabilia

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An 18-year-old faces numerous charges in connection with the theft of World War II memorabilia from a Gwinnett County home in March.

The memorabilia, once-owned by the late grandfather of a Lawrenceville man, were stolen during a March 26 burglary of a home on Flint Hill Drive. The items, including ribbons, pins, rank insignia and aviation pins, were eventually returned to the homeowner after they were found in a stolen car, police said.

• Related: Police Find Owner of Stolen WWII Memorabilia

Wednesday, Gwinnett Police reported Demarquis Williams, 18, was arrested for participation in the burglary, and other crimes.

“During the course of this investigation, five suspects were identified for their involvement in the burglary on Flint Hill Drive and other criminal acts,” Gwinnett Police spokesperson Cpl. Michele Pihera said in a news release. “Four of the suspects were juveniles at the time these crimes occurred.”

Williams was arrested earlier this month and charged with two counts of burglary, eight counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and single counts of theft by receiving and credit card theft. It was not known what charges the juveniles face, Pihera said.

Police tracked down the owner of the WWII items after they were found, along with other items, in a stolen car located at the Park Crossing Apartments near Norcross.

A detective assigned to the Gwinnett Police Gang Unit found a name on one of the items and went to the Internet to start looking for the owner. The detective eventually found and contacted a relative in New York, who said he had a family member in metro Atlanta — the Flint Hill Drive resident.

“Using our database, we found the original burglary report from March 26,” Pihera said in an email sent on June 1. “The detective made contact with the victim who positively identified the jewelry as items belonging to his late grandfather.”

The items were returned to the owner on June 1, police said.

Demarquis Williams; Gwinnett County Jail mug shot