Antonio Bernard Patterson, 34, of 2323 Richland Lane, was found guilty on charges of burglary, robbery, criminal attempt of burglary and possession of burglary tools, according to Assistant District Attorney Anthony Nicastro, who tried the case along with prosecutor Adam Land.
On Nov. 8, 2008, prosecutor Falin Rogers came home to find Patterson inside her home on Murphy Street, Nicastro said. He had kicked down the front door and ransacked the house.
"She caught him when she came home that night," Nicastro said. "When she tried to call 911 he confronted her and snatched the phone out of hand."
Patterson fled, but 10 days later he returned to Rogers home and tried to gain entry again. This time a neighbor spotted him and called Richmond County Sheriff's deputies who chased him to Holden Street where he hid in an abandoned house before being arrested, Nicastro said.
On the first trip to the home, Nicastro said Patterson had hid Rogers TV behind a shed but was unable to claim it because she came home. Investigators were able to obtain fingerprint evidence of Paterson from the TV.
"When he came back 10-days later, one of the witnesses testified that she saw him go look over behind the garage - presumably looking for the TV," he said.
Patterson will serve 30-years without parole. He has three prior burglary and one prior robbery conviction from 1997, Nicastro said.
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