Hopewell man to serve three months for attempted burglary in Charles City

A Hopewell man will serve three months in jail after accepting a plea deal Feb. 17 in Charles City Circuit Court.

Jalen Joell Johnson, 24, of the 1100 block of Butternut Drive, entered a guilty plea to one count of attempted burglary. One charge each of attempted burglary, possession of burglary tools, misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon, and misdemeanor driving suspended were dropped.

In a summary of evidence, on July 1, 2016, Johnson and co-defendant Deandre Wilson drove to a residence on Cattail Road. The duo attempted to enter the garage, with one of the defendants climbing on top of an air-conditioning unit to gain access. One of the homeowners of that residence noticed a suspicious vehicle outside and saw one of the defendants in the car and the other bolting to the vehicle. The homeowner contacted police and relayed a description of the vehicle.

Moments later, the same vehicle was stopped by a Charles City deputy for running a stop sign. The deputy was in the process of gathering the driver’s information. Upon learning about the burglary attempt, the suspects’ vehicle was searched. Blue latex gloves, a mask, a hammer, and a gun were discovered in the vehicle, leading to Johnson’s and Wilson’s arrests.

Under the plea agreement, Johnson received a 10-year sentence with all but three months suspended.