Randall James AllenThe investigation began when the Cleveland (Tennessee) Police Department was notified Monday about two large black bags on the greenway near 20th Street and Parker Street, according to a news release.
Inside the bags were multiple cameras, lenses and chargers valued at more than $1,700, according to Bradley County court records. The cameras had stickers stating they were property of Bradley County Schools.
Police then went to nearby Ocoee Middle School and saw an open classroom door and boxes matching some of the cameras in the bags, the news release states.
Bradley County Sheriff's Office deputies and detectives then responded to the scene, which is a county school, and collected security camera footage which showed a man, later identified as Randall James Allen, court records show.
Allen was seen walking out of the classroom an toward where the cameras were located, though he covered his face throughout most of the video, court records state.
Investigators then processed the area and empty boxes for any latent fingerprints, and one of the prints were matched to Allen, court records show.
Deputies confirmed with school administrators that Allen wasn't an employee.
At that point, investigators went to Allen's home where he agreed to speak with detectives and admitted to taking the items from the classroom, court records states.
Allen was then arrested and charged with burglary and theft over $1,000. He is being held in the Bradley County Jail on a $10,000 bond, sheriff's office spokesman Adam Lewis said.
The cameras have been returned to the school.