Suspect in Theft Leaves Behind Winder-Barrow High School Diploma as Clue

A Dacula woman is facing charges of theft and criminal trespass after allegedly stealing metal from a Winder construction company.

On Jan. 20, the owner of J.C. McDaniel Construction arrived at work and found signs indicating the business had been burglarized. The owner noticed a set of wheel tracks and followed them to a nearby wooded area. The tracks led to a wheeled cooler full of metal plates that had been taken from the business.

A Barrow County Sheriff’s deputy investigating the burglary noticed another set of tracks and followed those into the wooded area. The tracks led to an old road bed. The tracks continued another 150 yards to a pond, where he found two backpacks. The backpacks contained stolen metal. The deputy continued following the tracks and found a BFI trash can containing more stolen metal. The deputy subsequently discovered another backpack and three gym bags.

As the deputy was photographing the backpacks and contents, he found paperwork belonging to Amber Fields, 22, of 290 Maxey Street in Dacula. The backpack also contained a credit card sized copy of Fields’ diploma.

As a result of the investigation, Fields and Jessica Davis, 22, also of 290 Maxey Street in Dacula, were arrested and each charged with criminal trespass, two counts of felony theft by taking and one count of misdemeanor theft by taking. As of Jan. 25, both women were still being held at the Barrow County Detention Center.