DOUGLAS, Ga. — A dispute over rent and keys led to the arrest of Valarie Cox, 45, of Douglas, earlier this month, according to the Douglas Police Department.
Officers responded to a West Walker Street address after a landlord reported a theft incident. The landlord told police she had asked Cox, who was renting a room in her home, to return the keys and vacate the property. When Cox refused, the landlord threatened to call 911.
During the confrontation, Cox allegedly took the landlord’s cell phone to prevent the 911 call. She initially told the landlord she had thrown the phone under a bed, but it was later returned by a neighbor along with the keys. Police said Cox also spit in the landlord’s face during the argument.
Cox later admitted to taking the phone, claiming it was accidental, and told officers she would return the keys after finishing her belongings.
She was arrested and charged with theft by taking and hindering a person from making a 911 call, booked into the Coffee County Jail, and later released.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
