JONESBORO, Ark. — Police arrested James Edwin Mayo and Michael Clifford McGinty following multiple break-ins at an unused factory in Jonesboro. The incidents caused extensive damage and resulted in significant theft.
Employees discovered the first break-in on Sept. 28. When the factory was checked the next day, it was clear the suspects had returned overnight. Cameras installed by workers later captured the men inside the building early on Oct. 1, allegedly gathering items to steal.
Police responded after another reported intrusion the following morning, arresting Mayo and McGinty. McGinty initially fled but was quickly apprehended. Authorities determined the break-ins caused over $50,000 in damages and nearly $10,000 in stolen property. Most damage targeted the factory’s wiring, which had been cut and removed.
Both suspects admitted to entering the factory multiple times. Mayo said they transported stolen items in his truck.
Craighead County District Judge Tommy Fowler found probable cause on Oct. 3 to charge both men with:
Commercial burglary
First-degree criminal mischief (property over $25,000)
Theft from a building ($5,000–$25,000)
Additionally, McGinty faces charges for possession of less than two grams of a Schedule I or II substance and fleeing. McGinty is held on a $30,000 cash-only bond with an ankle monitor requirement, while Mayo was released on a $75,000 cash or surety bond.
Both are scheduled for arraignment in court on Nov. 25.
